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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My preference would be going back to 64. Assuming that wont happen, id rather the play in games be played exclusively by at-large berths. Id like to see auto-bid winning conference champs be in the field of 64.

Also, with the field of 76, how many historically unsuccessful major conference teams are going to start bragging about things like "making the tournament for three straight years for the first time in school history" when the real difference is just the bar sinking lower?
 




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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I don't know anybody who fills them out anymore. I remember doing them in grade school, high school, college, and the jobs I had previously. But now, I don't even know anyone who watches the games or talks about them anymore.
 

A few things. As a college basketball junkie, I absolutely hate this. 64 is, was, and always will be the number. 32 auto bids 32 at large picks. If you can't hit either of those marks, you are not good enough to complain, you had 35ish games, this isn't bad luck or you getting screwed, you just aren't good.

That said, they likely will never stop expanding, if you think they don't have 128 in mind you're crazy. Imagine tbs tnt tru going well we either show impractical jokers, a re run of the A team or "the ncaa basketball tournament!" And as much as I hate it, its going to get WAY more views. Casuals see it and go nothing else on Tuesday night and stop.

Not to get too into the weeds but its greed and money that ruin everything in life, sports is just a microcosm of that. Soon enough NFL will have 20 weeks and so be on likely 5-6 nights a week. That sucks but since they make money they won't care. Purety is gone.

Back to the tournament, the only way we get back to 64 is when the B1G/SEC plus whoever they decide, splits off. And then that will suck because it will be. #1 seed Florida vs 16 seed Rutgers coming in with a 12-24 record. I just hate it.

I understand kids making money, but the ncaa has messed this up so bad. I do wish they had some level maybe D2 or D3 that was pure and simple college kids who don't get paid, maybe can only transfer once and are there to get an education while playing in a sport. I might just watch that instead of this corrupt money grab that has consumed D1. SAD
 

leib0039 said:
A few things. As a college basketball junkie, I absolutely hate this. 64 is, was, and always will be the number. 32 auto bids 32 at large picks. If you can't hit either of those marks, you are not good enough to complain, you had 35ish games, this isn't bad luck or you getting screwed, you just aren't good.

That said, they likely will never stop expanding, if you think they don't have 128 in mind you're crazy. Imagine tbs tnt tru going well we either show impractical jokers, a re run of the A team or "the ncaa basketball tournament!" And as much as I hate it, its going to get WAY more views. Casuals see it and go nothing else on Tuesday night and stop.
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If games before the Field of 64 is set are such a valuable commodity why is the First 4 currently aired on something called TRUTV?
 

Ope3 said:
If games before the Field of 64 is set are such a valuable commodity why is the First 4 currently aired on something called TRUTV?
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1. Money
2. Money
3. Money

Tru tv is owned by Warner Brothers, these few nights sky rocket the value of that otherwise worthless channel. Quite simple
 



leib0039 said:
1. Money
2. Money
3. Money

Tru tv is owned by Warner Brothers, these few nights sky rocket the value of that otherwise worthless channel. Quite simple
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I think Warner puts it on TRUTV because they have other things they want to show on Tuesday & Wednesday on TBS/TNT which have a significant higher percentage of US households have.
 

Ope3 said:
I think Warner puts it on TRUTV because they have other things they want to show on Tuesday & Wednesday on TBS/TNT which have a significant higher percentage of US households have.
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I highly doubt that is correct
 

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leib0039 said:
I highly doubt that is correct
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Then why does Warner put the College Football Playoff on TBS/TNT instead of TRUTV?

I will admit that up to this year, TBS-TNT used Tue-Wed of the First 4 week to broadcast NBA games, but they no longer have that inventory available.

Now they have to go with NHL, which may be contractual due to the lack of available windows throughout the rest to the NCAA Tournament.

I doubt the NHL got as many eyeballs as Miami (OH)-SMU, but otherwise a typical NHL Regular Season game gets 1.5 - 1.6 viewers which I do think would be more than a battle of the 16th Seeds at least.

I know I was watching Wild-Blackhawks instead on that First 4 Tuesday, then caught up with the Texas-NC State game on DVR with Vitale & Barkley.
 

NCAA determined to kill the golden calf and do what no one wants...


 




howeda7 said:
🤮

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That doesn't seem like it would move the needle at all for additional revenue when also figuring extra expenses. That's even more the case if multiple games are taking place during the same broadcast window.

That has been my contention in previous conversations with others who have seen this Expansion as nothing but a "Money Grab".

Maybe some streamer will be willing to fork over more dough, which for me will make the event more ignorable.
 

Ope3 said:
That doesn't seem like it would move the needle at all for additional revenue when also figuring extra expenses. That's even more the case if multiple games are taking place during the same broadcast window.

That has been my contention in previous conversations with others who have seen this Expansion as nothing but a "Money Grab".

Maybe some streamer will be willing to fork over more dough, which for me will make the event more ignorable.
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Wednesday noon games on Tubi. Night games on Peacock.
 



Pretty soon, the idea of striving to make the NCAA Tournament will be considered old-fashioned and silly. That's because the NCAA Tournament will be striving to include almost any team with a TV market. We're moving to a time that you'll have to finish with a god-awful record of 5-22 or something like that to not make the NCAA tournament (unless or course, you're one of those national brand teams like Duke, Michigan, Kansas, Arizona, ect) I still think my idea from post #9 is pretty close to what the NCAA would like the tournament to be.
 

Ope3 said:
That doesn't seem like it would move the needle at all for additional revenue when also figuring extra expenses. That's even more the case if multiple games are taking place during the same broadcast window.

That has been my contention in previous conversations with others who have seen this Expansion as nothing but a "Money Grab".

Maybe some streamer will be willing to fork over more dough, which for me will make the event more ignorable.
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This is an excellent point. Have they articulated exactly why they're doing this? Made a business case or a problem statement of why 68 (or 64) was so bad it needed to be changed or why 76 is the obvious right number we've been needing to go to all along? In a market economy, the paying customer--and make no mistake, you and I pay for all of this--should be courted with a pitch. The hubris of the NCAA, thinking we're all so addicted to their product that we'll keep happily consuming it, is nauseating.
 

Chico Gopher said:
Pretty soon, the idea of striving to make the NCAA Tournament will be considered old-fashioned and silly. That's because the NCAA Tournament will be striving to include almost any team with a TV market. We're moving to a time that you'll have to finish with a god-awful record of 5-22 or something like that to not make the NCAA tournament (unless or course, you're one of those national brand teams like Duke, Michigan, Kansas, Arizona, ect) I still think my idea from post #9 is pretty close to what the NCAA would like the tournament to be.
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These days, when a pro team crows about making the playoffs, I'm like, dude, EVERYONE who can walk and chew gum at the same time makes the playoffs. Call me when you're in actual contention.

In the days of the field of 64, if you made the field, you were a really good team. Even the expansion to 68 has let in some questionable qualifiers. Just like in the NFL now, where mediocre teams are in playoff contention: it makes your league a joke. Do you really want to be a joke?
 

This is starting to get pathetic. The value of an NCAA bid will drop to being nearly meaningless.
 


Bad Gopher said:
This is an excellent point. Have they articulated exactly why they're doing this? Made a business case or a problem statement of why 68 (or 64) was so bad it needed to be changed or why 76 is the obvious right number we've been needing to go to all along? In a market economy, the paying customer--and make no mistake, you and I pay for all of this--should be courted with a pitch. The hubris of the NCAA, thinking we're all so addicted to their product that we'll keep happily consuming it, is nauseating.
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Money, there's nothing else. We live in a world with the greediest, slimmest, degenerates are running the ncaa, if they make $1 they want more, if the make a billion, they want more. They don't care about anything else and I despise them for it. The problem is it won't stop, sure its not as big of a draw, but if you tell TruTV its a round of 76 game or a 1000th rerun of impractical jokers they take the game, you tell tbs its a game or batman for the 400th time they take the game. I'm just so annoyed that the sport i grew up loving is being dismantled right in front of our eyes and we can't do a damn thing about it.
 


leib0039 said:
Money, there's nothing else. We live in a world with the greediest, slimmest, degenerates are running the ncaa, if they make $1 they want more, if the make a billion, they want more. They don't care about anything else and I despise them for it. The problem is it won't stop, sure its not as big of a draw, but if you tell TruTV its a round of 76 game or a 1000th rerun of impractical jokers they take the game, you tell tbs its a game or batman for the 400th time they take the game. I'm just so annoyed that the sport i grew up loving is being dismantled right in front of our eyes and we can't do a damn thing about it.
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That may make money for TruTV (perhaps $1), but may barely cover expenses for the NCAA to transport 8 more teams to a neutral site, lodge them, stage the game at neutral sites then they send the 4 more winner to their Round of 64 game.

The goal of the NCAA could just be revenue neutral in terms of money.

There is more to this than "money". They want up to 8 more Power schools in the event.
 

Bad Gopher said:
This is an excellent point. Have they articulated exactly why they're doing this? Made a business case or a problem statement of why 68 (or 64) was so bad it needed to be changed or why 76 is the obvious right number we've been needing to go to all along? In a market economy, the paying customer--and make no mistake, you and I pay for all of this--should be courted with a pitch. The hubris of the NCAA, thinking we're all so addicted to their product that we'll keep happily consuming it, is nauseating.
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About the only justification I have seen has been since 68 Team format has increased the number of D1 basketball programs has increased from 335 to 361.

Increasing the field to 76 equates to 21% NCAA Teams will make the Tournament which aligns with the majority of the other D1 Championships they conduct.
 

Ope3 said:
That may make money for TruTV (perhaps $1), but may barely cover expenses for the NCAA to transport 8 more teams to a neutral site, lodge them, stage the game at neutral sites then they send the 4 more winner to their Round of 64 game.

The goal of the NCAA could just be revenue neutral in terms of money.

There is more to this than "money". They want up to 8 more Power schools in the event.
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www.espn.com

NCAA tournament deal with CBS, Turner extended through 2032

With eight years left on their deal to broadcast the NCAA Tournament, CBS and Turner are tacking on another eight.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

What are you talking about?? 8.8 BILLION and you are taking about 8 more teams getting a plane ride and a hotel stay? This is about money. That's it and that's all. They want sec big ten teams in sure, BECAUSE THEY MAKE THEM MORE MONEY. You're a fool to think any different
 

leib0039 said:
www.espn.com

NCAA tournament deal with CBS, Turner extended through 2032

With eight years left on their deal to broadcast the NCAA Tournament, CBS and Turner are tacking on another eight.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

What are you talking about?? 8.8 BILLION and you are taking about 8 more teams getting a plane ride and a hotel stay? This is about money. That's it and that's all. They want sec big ten teams in sure, BECAUSE THEY MAKE THEM MORE MONEY. You're a fool to think any different
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You really think that the Money these extra 8 games broadcast in multiple windows on Tuesday and Wednesdays is going to make any noticeable difference to any schools budget when that revenue is going to be split between 31 conferences?

Then the Big 10's share will get divided into 18 more any smaller pies. We're talking CRUMBs.

Or the easier sell...8 more slots to the the Dance with maybe all of them going to P4 schools. Sold.

8 more coaches less likely to be fired, or at least given 1 more opportunity to save their job.
 
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Ope3 said:
About the only justification I have seen has been since 68 Team format has increased the number of D1 basketball programs has increased from 335 to 361.

Increasing the field to 76 equates to 21% NCAA Teams will make the Tournament which aligns with the majority of the other D1 Championships they conduct.
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I think thats what you call a post hac justification. Those numbers may be true, but they are also is not the reason.
 

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