According to Big 10 commissioner Jim Delaney. I just don't get why it needs to expand. It's a great format, and you can't convince me that the 65th through 96th teams need to be in the mix. To me it will kill the end of the season. Right now the teams on the bubble have to sweat out their last few games and their conference tournaments, where as with 96 teams many of the teams like ND who had to get on a roll at the end of the year to get off the bubble, wouldn't have to worry about it, they would have been in easily. Tournament Expansion Not to mention it will kill off the NIT, not that anybody really cares though.
You know, I remember the good old days when the Indiana HS tournament was a single-class tournament and every team in the state participated. There were well over 200 teams to start with, but the numbers shrank quickly and the tournament ran smoothly. I don't care much one way or the other what they do. If they expand and there are protests, I'm guessing that eventually the noise will die down and everyone will adapt, teams and fans alike. One thing that works in favor of expansion - and which always has aided the popularity of the NCAA tournament - is that this is a slow time of the year sports-wise. If they need to add a week to the tournament, it shouldn't be a problem. Just my random thoughts.
The first round will be almost meaningless... There might be a few upsets, but nothing like was seen this year. Those bottom 20 teams really don't belong, and it will be obvious.
It might actually help the NIT if teams that lose in the first round are allowed to play in it. They'd actually have a chance to invite some stronger teams since some of the teams that would normally be in the first round could be upset. Allowing that would be the least that the NCAA could do after this money grab.
Leave... <t>It to someone to mess up a great thing. Like Jay Bilas said" lets treat it like little league and everyone plays at least three innings." How sad.</t>
The internet has caused a universal memory shortage as well as a universal venting mechanism. Here (from Wikipedia) is a history of how the number of teams has grown: 1939–1950: eight teams 1951–1952: 16 teams 1953–1974: varied between 22 and 25 teams 1975–1978: 32 teams 1979: 40 teams 1980–1982: 48 teams 1983: 52 teams (four play-in games before the tournament) 1984: 53 teams (five play-in games before the tournament) 1985–2000: 64 teams 2001—present: 65 teams (with an opening round game to determine whether the 64th or 65th team plays in the first round) Conclusion: Much ado about nothing.
OK I have the ulitimate tournament!! 128 Teams. Round of 128 losers go into the losers bracket. Then the 64 winners and losers conduct their own tourney with the winner of the losers bracket playing the winner of the winners bracket in a best 2 out of 3 for the Nat'l Championship!! Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!
The way I believe the numbers would work out is that the it would add one round to the tournament. Teams 1 - 32 draw byes the first round while 33 - 96 play each other with 32 teams surviving to join the other 32. Since the only teams playing the first round would be ranked no higher than 32 I think it is highly possible that we could have some upsets. I'm not sure how I feel about it. And would there still be a NIT tournament or would this take the place of the NIT?
Bigger is not better! So called rewards for playing seem to be very shallow anymore. Maybe my age is showing? Don
America's infatuation with the underdog is at a fever pitch during the NCAA tournament. So how could the inclusion of 31 more underdogs be anything but positive? It WILL be a success. You can take that to the bank.
It seems to me that what is being done is rolling the NIT and NCAA tournament into one big tourney. So we will basically have the same number of teams, just one tournament that will take one weekend longer.
True Sid, it will certainly not fail BUT, the tourney will include a GREAT many games that had no need to be played. You could say that exists now with the 16 vs 1 games (a 16 has NEVER beaten a 1)... but that will now move down to the top 4 or even 5 seeds. Those games will be meaningless wastes of time.
If they are going to do this then they need to eliminate the conference tournaments so they can play the NCAA fist round on that weekend instead.