Time is right for Summit League to alter tournament format: Give top seeds shortest path to NCAA Tournament

With the Summit League now sitting at 8 teams after Denver’s departure to the WCC, now would be a good time for the Summit to give its top 2 seeds a bye to the tournament semifinals. Now more than ever with the NCAA Tournament expanding to 76 teams, mid- and low-major conferences must protect their best teams by giving them the shortest (read: easiest) path possible to the tournament. The higher your representative's NCAA seed, the better the conference's chance to advance in March (now even more difficult with 76 teams).

1st Round
#5 vs. #8
#6 vs. #7

Quarterfinals
#4 vs. 5-8 winner
#3 vs. 6-7 winner

Semifinals
#1 vs. 4-5-8
#2 vs. 3-6-7