Greg Sankey clearly wants it because he pretty much begged for it. P4 coaches have to love it because it allows them to cash in on a NCAAT participation trophy. The consensus of the national media is that they hate it, but one could take the “who cares what they think” approach, given that they get in free anyway. I’m indifferent about it, but I did chuckle at this tweet because the college administrators who make up the NCAA have a long history of being their own worst enemy.
NCAA tournament expansion…
- Thread starter olblue
- Start date
It’s stupid and I hate it. It just waters it down more and adds teams that have no business being in the tournament.
I wouldn't mind it as much if it was the best 64 or 76 or however many best teams. But giving glorified 1A high school teams an automatic bid because they won the hick valley swamp bottom conference is BS. All that serves is to give the best teams a de facto first round bye so the starters can be on the sideline waving towels and jumping around screaming while the end of their bench makes a dunk in a 40 point blow out.
They crossed that watered down too much bridge when they expanded past 64. I don’t care if there’s 1 play in game or 20. Just more games I won’t watch unless we’re playing.
I hated that too but it’s tolerable because it at least gets rid of some of the worst teams from the worst mid major conferences. Going to 76 is too far.
Honestly, if it were all up to me, they never would have gone past 48. Of course back then I don’t think there was as many small school bullsh*t conferences taking bids. But back then if you made the NCAA Tournament it meant something.
The first weekend of the tourney is the best weekend in all of sports, more teams will only make it better. Unlike many of you guys, I actually like sports and want more games. This expansion will be more play in games on Tuesday/Wed before the tournament starts on Thursday. So it will be easy to just not watch the play in round for those who don't like it. You can just start watching on Thursdays and ignore the play in round. The 64 team tourney will start on Thursday, just like always, so no change to it.
Good post. Love the 64 although it’s lost a little luster because the non-P4 schools are not as good in today’s environment which yields fewer first round upsets. Tue/Wed would be more interesting if they create more bottom feeder P4/mid-major matchups.
I like that mid-majors are included in the mix. I’ve been to all of the major conference tournaments over the years and a couple of mid-majors. Loved them all but to see the excitement of those mid-majors guys when they punch the ticket is a lot of fun.
I think it would be better to scale back the 32 conferences to 20 or so, and then go back to 64. You'd still have a few extra bids going to the major conferences this way.
It took awhile but someone finally showed up to shoot the messenger.
He’s not wrong.
The siena duke game this year was awesome. The whole point is David vs. Goliath and any given day anyone can win. UMBC upset Virginia.
If this was best of 3 then that's a different story.
Greedy tv executives calculating added revenue for additional 12 teams, just stupid.
No play in games. Expanded to 128 teams- and that is just 1 extra game for all instead of just the play in teams.
Expand it.
If there are blowouts...oh well. If there are more good games and an extra upset or two, perfect.
There is no downside for fans.
If there are blowouts...oh well. If there are more good games and an extra upset or two, perfect.
There is no downside for fans.
No reason to go beyond where we are now and the 4 team play in games is ok, pregame to the tournament- but anything beyond where we are now is only a $$$ grab!
Nope, you olblue deserve all the accolades for having quality responses to thought provoking, insightful posts.
Keep up the good work.
Keep up the good work.
The game of basketball has already died. Thus, I couldn't care less what the NCAA (or, anyone else) does with those high-paced constant up-and-down three-pointer competitions.
76/365 = 20.8%
12/138 = 8.7%
Basketball fights like hell to get bigger and football fights like hell to stay smaller. Because reasons. IDGAF which direction we ultimately go but damn, pick a lane. Let's just get some consistency back in college sports.
12/138 = 8.7%
Basketball fights like hell to get bigger and football fights like hell to stay smaller. Because reasons. IDGAF which direction we ultimately go but damn, pick a lane. Let's just get some consistency back in college sports.
It is garbage. They have removed all intelligence, discipline, strategy from the game. they can’t even run a complete play With the shot clock many times and bad off balance three point attempts have replaced an offense. Basically alley ball. I saw countless travels not called in the Michigan game. compared to the 1980s it is a travesty.
Analytics seem to have made basketball and baseball more boring, while enhancing football. But there again, it's harder for analytics to really influence football, just so much more physical.
That said, I don't know if an average (bball or baseball) modern day team would beat an average 80s team, of similar talent. Seems like the analytics would win.
They should expand the tournament to 365 teams and start it earlier, like November, but do away with automatic eliminations based on losses. Around the middle of March, they should eliminate teams under .500 from the tournament and narrow it down further to the best teams then play single elimination from that point on, ideally 6-7 rounds
A modern basketball team would wipe them off the floor.
Baseball would be interesting because you have more freely swinging players that might chase off the plate but they also see a lot more velocity now than back then. Might be BP on some pitchers from the 80s throwing 88 mph fastballs.
Oh, OK. How about:
FCS football: 24/129 = 18.6%
D2 football: 32/161 = 19.9%
D3 football: 40/246 = 16.3%
NAIA football: 20/95 = 21.1%
D2 basketball: 64/292 = 22%
You were saying?
To be merely All Conference he does indeed have Heisman worthy takes every now and then.
Also not the same. They start their playoffs 3 weeks before FBS, because their season ends in mid November.
These final four teams could beat every G league team. And it's still bad basketball.
3 pointers and layups with any D to speak of.
And the money has made it a heartless business.
Fundamentals are the basis to to true basketball skills. The 1980s fundamentals are vastly superior compared to the stuff that goes on today. Team basketball always beats individual play. 1980s was vastly superior in terms of team play.
it’s the dumbing down of a sport. It’s entertainment over true competition. Many casual fans can’t see the difference.