Executives are inching closer to agreement to expand NCAA tournament to 76 teams with a 12-game “opening round” played at two sites starting in 26-27

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64 was so good. All this does is allow more teams that had OK seasons to get in, none of them have any chance of winning. I am sure it is all for the money, but don't like it personally at all.
 

Not sure I see a problem with this...4 play in games now becomes 12 play in games? Frankly would rather watch my team in a play in game for the NCAA than playing in some version of NIT/CIT who cares.
 

gopherbadgerman said:
64 was so good. All this does is allow more teams that had OK seasons to get in, none of them have any chance of winning. I am sure it is all for the money, but don't like it personally at all.
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This is where I am as well. The expansion of the tournament will happen if there is money to be made in doing it since in the end that is all the powers that be really care about.

Will be interesting to see how fans treat those games. As it stands right now the tournament really doesn't start until there are 64 teams and most people seem to ignore the play in games for the most part.
 


Relax ! You'll only have to contend with the "Field of 72" for a year or so before those NCAA numbskulls in Indy announce the expansion to 80. "Eighty is Great-y" they'll be letting you know.
 


It's not as bad if more get in on play-ins. Bad team against bad team only.

Who wants to see #1 against 258.
 





Greed knows no bounds. Just dumb. I’d say they’re strangling the golden goose, but the expansion from 64 to 68 did nothing to cooking said goose. So yes, they are probably right- this will be more money with no downsides. But as a fan this is just dumb. There are already some sad-ass teams making the tourney.
 





Our ratings are the highest in years! How can we $%% this up? Bracket pools will be a thing of the past. And far less will watch except the hard core gamblers.
 

howeda7 said:
Our ratings are the highest in years! How can we $%% this up? Bracket pools will be a thing of the past. And far less will watch except the hard core gamblers.
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Bingo! Gambling is the name of the game now. Big conference tournaments are practically irrelevant now. This will make it worse. A cash cow for conferences but meaningless for actual basketball.
 

So six games per day in a two-day play-in? That can't be done in a full day of games, so there'll have to be concurrent games.
 

golf said:
I am on board if the 12 additional teams are 6 small and 6 mid majors.
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They'll continue to do it the same way: based on NET ratings, which favors the major conferences.
 


WindyCityGopher said:
The world won’t end because of this, but this decision doesn’t make the tournament better, so ultimately, it’s just dumb.
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The world won’t end but it will reduce broad interest in it, which is not only dumb, but foolhardy on the part of the organizers.

I wonder if it provides cover to the mid to low performing programs in power conferences who can now celebrate and sell post season play with 7-13 conference records.
 

Holy Man said:
The world won’t end but it will reduce broad interest in it, which is not only dumb, but foolhardy on the part of the organizers.

I wonder if it provides cover to the mid to low performing programs in power conferences who can now celebrate and sell post season play with 7-13 conference records.
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As others have said: it's a cash grab, for the big conferences, and further relegates the small conferences. I would prefer the 64 team bracket of a few years ago. I'd prefer the cinderellas be from low and mid majors.

But what were going to get is more high majors and mediocre high major "cinderellas" like Iowa and Texas were this year. If the tournament had expanded this year it would have brought in Indiana, USC, Oklahoma, Auburn, etc. which were uninspiring basketball teams, but have big fanbases and national brands. Yawn.
 

Oatmeal Savage said:
As others have said: it's a cash grab, for the big conferences, and further relegates the small conferences. I would prefer the 64 team bracket of a few years ago. I'd prefer the cinderellas be from low and mid majors.

But what were going to get is more high majors and mediocre high major "cinderellas" like Iowa and Texas were this year. If the tournament had expanded this year it would have brought in Indiana, USC, Oklahoma, Auburn, etc. which were uninspiring basketball teams, but have big fanbases and national brands. Yawn.
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You show who you are by your actions. This action shows the NCAA, their member schools, and society in general as being greedy and gambling-addicted.
 


Bad Gopher said:
You show who you are by your actions. This action shows the NCAA, their member schools, and society in general as being greedy and gambling-addicted.
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Bingo.

And don't give two sh*ts about what the majority of their fans think.
 

Bad Gopher said:
You show who you are by your actions. This action shows the NCAA, their member schools, and society in general as being greedy and gambling-addicted.
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Which makes it easy for people like me to just not watch it let alone bet on it.
 

Oatmeal Savage said:
If the tournament had expanded this year it would have brought in Indiana, USC, Oklahoma, Auburn, etc. which were uninspiring basketball teams, but have big fanbases and national brands. Yawn.
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USC probably wasn't making it with a #79 NET.

I think you're correct that Indiana, Oklahoma and Auburn were locks to make it under the proposed format. Others may have included West Virginia, Cincinatti, Florida State, Stanford.

But, almost certainly it would have also added San Diego State, New Mexico & Tulsa, and possibly a Boise or Belmont.

I am in the minority, and not so married to 68 being some magical number.

If this creates another ten games on Tuesday/Wednesday of the tourney and a couple of full days of enjoyment, I could live with it. Probably would be some good games in that grouping of teams.

Tuesday/Wednesday would feel a little more like the traditional Thursday/Friday. That isn't totally bad. Lots of basketball in opening week of Dance. Especially when Thursday/Friday will still be Thursday/Friday. Four straight full weekdays of meaningful college hoops? I'm in.

Definitely would require much less time to fill out your office pool brackets. Have to have 'em all in by Tuesday, I suppose.
 
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tjgopher said:
Definitely would require much less time to fill out your office pool brackets. Have to have 'em all in by Tuesday, I suppose.
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That would mean at least half the people participating now won't anymore.
 


tjgopher said:
I think you underestimate America's appetite to be in the office pool.
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Offset by Americans ability to procrastinate. Getting a lunch order for Tuesday with 24 hours notice is a challenge. Fill out this 76 team monstrosity by tomorrow or you're out? Many won't do it.
 

howeda7 said:
Offset by Americans ability to procrastinate. Giving people basically 24 hours means many won't do it.
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My participation has declined a lot over the last several years for that very reason. Sometimes we just have to work.
 

Well, have to take out those Nov 10th games and start the season Thanksgiving week, along with elimination of the B1G 20 game season along with the conference tourneys.
 

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