NCAA Tournament Expansion

[Capt. Tuttle]

The NCAA is apparently offering three options to the Division 1 Commissioners, one with 72 teams, one with 76, and the current 68. All would require play-in games to cut the field to 64.

The “Red” plan.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Umm, no. I root for SU and certainly enjoyed that run. But again, it’s a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP tourney. If you finish 9th in your conference, how can you claim you should have a shot at being the best in the country? What was the regular season for, if not to determine who the best teams are?

That is not the outcome. The winner of the tournament is not the best regular season team, it’s the team that won the national championship tournament. Think of GMac’s BET run. SU was no where near the best team in the BE. It just won the BET. Their subsequent seeding in the NCAA tournament reflected their overall season, as well as their championship run.

 

[longtimefan]

The criteria to be D1 has nothing to do with the quality of play.

There's only so many good players and teams out there. Just because D1 has expanded over the years doesn't change that.

I think there are more good players, in large part due to the number of internationals coming to play in the US.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Orangezoo]

Now that we are seeing what the new world looks like expansion makes far less sense than it did even a couple years ago.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I've already lost most interest in the NCAA tournament. We haven't been in it in 4 years, and everybody turns over their roster every year, so there's so little player continuity. I put my viewing time into other sports now. I can't imagine being interested in a play-in weekend, the weekend before the tournament starts.

 

[RedtheGOB]

I thought for sure they'd take the money and expand. Also expected the gambling sites to lobby hard for it. Seems likely next year.

*Not saying I'm for it, just saying I expected the NCAA to do it.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Glad to see they followed the adage…if it ain’t broke don’t break it.
The NCAA tournament is still the best event in sports.

We’ll see if NIL and constant portal poppin’ can ruin it.
They already have diminished being able to
Root for players on your team and left fans mostly just rooting for the uniform

 

[STEVEHOLT]

I've already lost most interest in the NCAA tournament. We haven't been in it in 4 years, and everybody turns over their roster every year, so there's so little player continuity. I put my viewing time into other sports now. I can't imagine being interested in a play-in weekend, the weekend before the tournament starts.

the quality of players in college basketball overall is significantly higher than in prior years however.

 

[IthacaMatt]

the quality of players in college basketball overall is significantly higher than in prior years however.

Yeah, that's great. But everyone's roster changes about 75% every year.

It's about as fun as watching videos of people playing football video games where they have to rename all the players with made up names, made up teams, etc.

It's hard to have a rooting interest when you don't know 90% of the players.

 

[Jasoncuse]

I don't mind the play-in games, so expanding to 72 would've been fine. What's the different in 4 vs 8 play-in games? Play 4 on Tuesday and 4 on Wednesday, in Dayton and some other locale.

Would've been nice, as it would have improved our chances of making the Tourney, even if ever so slightly.