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.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Brooky03]

The ACC is doing teams 16-18 a favor and letting them die with dignity.

 

[orange79]

The ACC is doing teams 16-18 a favor and letting them die with dignity.

Disagree. Every kid wants another game. And as low as the odds are, the chances are >0 that one of those teams can go on a run and make the NCAA's. They deserve that opportunity. Not sure what the ACC is thinking...

Just my opinion.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Disagree. Every kid wants another game. And as low as the odds are, the chances are >0 that one of those teams can go on a run and make the NCAA's. They deserve that opportunity. Not sure what the ACC is thinking...

Just my opinion.

Kemba Walker says Hello.

 

[Brooky03]

Disagree. Every kid wants another game. And as low as the odds are, the chances are >0 that one of those teams can go on a run and make the NCAA's. They deserve that opportunity. Not sure what the ACC is thinking...

Just my opinion.

Before the transfer portal, I might be on your side. But I suspect a lot of the bad teams will have a lot of players with one foot out the door.

 

[GHLF]

Kemba Walker says Hello.

Yes, and I feel ACC made a huge blunder, by not attempting to securre the primary spot concerning the ACC tournament in NYC, or at least DC. Plain foolishness. There is not another Atlanta in the south for the ACC to turn to. We did however have potential massiive opportunity up north and turned it down. There would have been benefits all the way around and the kids would have loved it. Oh well.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Yes, and I feel ACC made a huge blunder, by not attempting to securre the primary spot concerning the ACC tournament in NYC, or at least DC. Plain foolishness. There is not another Atlanta in the south for the ACC to turn to. We did however have potential massiive opportunity up north and turned it down. There would have been benefits all the way around and the kids would have loved it. Oh well.

The Big East has MSG locked up through 2032. And I thought everybody hated Barclays.

Right now we're gonna bounce between Charlotte and Greensboro through 2029.

Maybe sprinkle a Brooklyn or a DC in there somewhere.

After 2030 we may be playing in the Big12 tourney in Kansas City for all anyone knows.

 

[GHLF]

The Big East has MSG locked up through 2032. And I thought everybody hated Barclays.

Right now we're gonna bounce between Charlotte and Greensboro through 2029.

Maybe sprinkle a Brooklyn or a DC in there somewhere.

After 2030 we may be playing in the Big12 tourney in Kansas City for all anyone knows.

I was def referring to Brooklyn, maybe it could have been made special. Fab bases would have traveled, even NC. I fully agree it would have been a hard sell as well to tobacco Rd...

 

[GHLF]

Yes, and I feel ACC made a huge blunder, by not attempting to secure the primary spot concerning the ACC tournament in NYC, or at least DC. Plain foolishness. There is not another Atlanta in the south for the ACC to turn to. We did however have potential massive opportunity up north and turned it down. There would have been benefits all the way around and the kids would have loved it. Oh well.

All about exposure for the league, as well as tourney invites now, critical

 

[kirbivore]

So would this be their bracket (assuming all chalk wins):
Day 1: 15 vs 18, 16 vs. 17
Day 2: 9 vs 16, 10 vs 15, 11 vs 14, 12 vs 13
Day 3: 8 vs 9, 7 vs 10, 6 vs 11, 5 vs 12
Day 4: Quarterfinal with seeds 1-4 getting in the mix
Day 5: Semifinals
Day 6: Championship.

 

[JeffCuse]

The reason I generally oppose expansion is because I hate the play in concept. I believe legitimate expansion means expansion to 128 which is patently ridiculous. I suppose maybe 96. But anything less than that I do not support. And I agree 96 is way too many so I dont support any I guess

 

[orange79]

So would this be their bracket (assuming all chalk wins):
Day 1: 15 vs 18, 16 vs. 17
Day 2: 9 vs 16, 10 vs 15, 11 vs 14, 12 vs 13
Day 3: 8 vs 9, 7 vs 10, 6 vs 11, 5 vs 12
Day 4: Quarterfinal with seeds 1-4 getting in the mix
Day 5: Semifinals
Day 6: Championship.

Yeah, it's really not that difficult. If the venue isn't available for Day 1, hold the game on the higher-seeded home court.

I get that may make it difficult since we have two teams on the West Coast.

1. Hold those games at a nearby college/HS court;
2. Don't finish in the bottom three.

As I said in an earlier post, I'm not sure what the ACC is thinking, and why they are so opposed to letting all 18 teams play. The B1G is doing it. Maybe the ACC can't count that high...

 

[jncuse]

I think I discussed it somewhere here before, but I find the "NCAA Division 1 has way more teams now" argument for tournament expansion to be an extremely weak one. Teams that are coming in aren't competing for NCAA tournament at-large spots. They are not one that benefit from expansion. The ones benefitting from expansion would largely be the pre-1985 teams.

#1. Yes, the NCAA has increased from 275 teams in 1984 to 364, an increase of 32%. That being said the #1 of auto bids has not changed.

#2.. Using the sorting function in college basketball reference, I looked at the 92 schools that came into Division 1 in 1985 or later.

#3. The line for being an at-large selection is generally the #11 seed line. Of the 92 teams that have come in 1985 or later, only 4 of the 92 have ever been an #11 seed or higher, which means they would have been at larges those year. Charleston (#8), Florida Atlantic (#8,#9). UCF (#9), Winthrop (#11)

#4. So basically the 92 programs, which have approximately 2000 Total seasons, have had 5 at large bid seasons out of 2000. (0.25%). Basically they take one an large spot once every 3 or 4 seasons.
#5. In the new environment, the ledger is tilted even more to the power programs. So expansion just waters things down for the existing programs not the new programs.