Another change to the NCAA Tournament

[HuskyNan]

 

[CL82]

As a rule, I'm not a huge fan of changes to the tournament process, but I think I'm fine with this.

 

[Forego]

Okay, I get it. The Selection Committee needs a little more time to separate the power four teams that finished eighth or ninth in their respective and ever growing conferences. Apparently the Selection Committee does not consider it necessary to provide the teams hosting the play-in games an extra day to prepare their venues. Actually, timely preparation of a play-in venue may be more challenging than preparing an arena for the first two rounds of the tournament. The play-in games start a few days before the first round which compresses the prep time even more. This will become more apparent as the number of play-in games expand.

 

[Huskee11]

Just another example of people “in charge” putzing around to justify their positions and lofty salaries. You see it all the time in varying contexts.

 

[Boreifs]

Okay, I get it. The Selection Committee needs a little more time to separate the power four teams that finished eighth or ninth in their respective and ever growing conferences. Apparently the Selection Committee does not consider it necessary to provide the teams hosting the play-in games an extra day to prepare their venues. Actually, timely preparation of a play-in venue may be more challenging than preparing an arena for the first two rounds of the tournament. The play-in games start a few days before the first round which compresses the prep time even more. This will become more apparent as the number of play-in games expand.

The play-in games are always at one of the 16 sites. Presumably, which ones will also be determined on Saturday.

 

[MooseJaw]

Two, yes two reveals. more tv face time more pub for our sport. I suggest that almost all the top 16 teams will already know where or close to where they rank. Has there ever been games delayed, moved or cancelled by a top 16 host school for lack of notice to host games? Is this change just for change, I go back to two nights two audiences, more exposure. Maybe I'm giving the committee too much credit and they just can't keep their fingers out of the pie.

 

[oldhusky]

Two, yes two reveals. more tv face time more pub for our sport. I suggest that almost all the top 16 teams will already know where or close to where they rank. Has there ever been games delayed, moved or cancelled by a top 16 host school for lack of notice to host games? Is this change just for change, I go back to two nights two audiences, more exposure. Maybe I'm giving the committee too much credit and they just can't keep their fingers out of the pie.

It might create more pub for the sport, but I'm not sure. Some (the fans of top contenders) might tune in to the first but not the second. Fans of other teams on the bubble may not watch the first day. If on the other hand many fans of top teams tune in on the second night to see who they face in the first or second round maybe overall viewership goes up.

Two nights vs. one, but the interest in both nights diminished by the new format IMO.

 

[Vowelguy]

For the baseball and softball tournaments, they NCAA announces the top 16 a day or so early. It doesn't list their seed or where they are in the bracket, just "these are the opening round hosts." I assume this would be the same.

Not really much of a change.

And the idea that the selection show "would be just the other 48 teams" ... seems wrong to me. Assuming my description above is correct, you'd still get the actual seedings and bracketing, which is the main thing we are waiting for. The teams selected and the hosts really isnt much of a mystery each year.

 

[Zinethar]

If it is really to give the sites more prep time on Saturday just announce the 16 hosting schools in alphabetic order and then do promo for the bracket reveal the following day. Stated mission accomplished with no loss of drama for the next day. Will that happen my guess is that it will not cause nature loves drama.

 

[jcoton56]

I have a bad feeling about the balance of the selection show. It does not matter to me what #15 or 16 we play. Like Geno says you go where they tell you and play who they tell you to play. This will take a lot of shine off the apple.

 

[stamfordhusky]

This is really not a big deal at all. They are simply going to announce who the top 16 seeds are. Anyone who follows college basketball could’ve guessed almost all of them before the announcement. They are not going to announce anything about who these teams are playing or what number their seeds are or anything at all that causes people to tune in to the Selection Sunday show.

 

[stamfordhusky]

I have a bad feeling about the balance of the selection show. It does not matter to me what #15 or 16 we play. Like Geno says you go where they tell you and play who they tell you to play. This will take a lot of shine off the apple.

I can’t see that it will take any shine at all off the apple. All they will do is say that UConn is one of the top 16 seeds, and we already knew that. They will not say who UConn is playing or where UConn is seeded or even which day UConn is playing on.

 

[Sifaka]

Just another example of people “in charge” putzing around to justify their positions and lofty salaries. You see it all the time in varying contexts.

Spot on! Your astute comment reminds me of the great, late Prof. Poly Styrene's
magnum opus, Organizational Entropy (Oxfford University Press, 1931), in which she concluded that the primary motive of all organizations, whether religious, civic, commercial, and especially non-profit, is self-perpetuation.

 

[Sifaka]

This is really not a big deal at all. They are simply going to announce who the top 16 seeds are. Anyone who follows college basketball could’ve guessed almost all of them before the announcement.

Aha!

Now you have properly set the stage for the real point of this minor change: The Las Vegas Wagering Establishment's dark web reveal of the winners of the
How Good/Bad Were Charlie Creme's Predictions Extravaganza.

 

[Huskee11]

As noted earlier I think it is unnecessary tinkering, although obviously some think I’m all wet. Fine. But if they go this route why the need to make a public production out of it? Why not simply notify the handful of schools who are on the “top 16 bubble” privately?

Teams like UConn are also gearing up well before that Saturday with communications to season ticket holders, etc. so I’m not sure it gains anybody all that much.

 

[YKCornelius]

As I hypothesized on the General Forum, the extra day gives host teams a chance to get out in front of blocking off large number of hotel rooms for upwards of three non-local visiting teams before their respective fan bases start reservations. That's a lot of rooms for each visiting program to sequester: players, coaches, support staff, cheerleaders, maybe bands, maybe parents/families, etc.

Probably doesn't help the programs that are seeded 1-12 in the second reveal since they can start reserving rooms weeks out, but probably helpful to the ADs of program(s) that sneak in to the last few slots.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Why do they even need a selection show? Just have the committee put out the bracket when they're done with it and call it a day.

 

[Centerstream]

Why do they even need a selection show? Just have the committee put out the bracket when they're done with it and call it a day.

Because ESPN/Disney wants/needs the ad revenue???
Afterall, don't they have an hour long selection show followed by an hour long show discussing the selection show?

 

[MooseJaw]

It might create more pub for the sport, but I'm not sure. Some (the fans of top contenders) might tune in to the first but not the second. Fans of other teams on the bubble may not watch the first day. If on the other hand many fans of top teams tune in on the second night to see who they face in the first or second round maybe overall viewership goes up.

Two nights vs. one, but the interest in both nights diminished by the new format IMO.

It could turn out this way and would be no surprise to me. Whatever the case the committee has shown they just don't get it. From consolidating the sites to putting Paige and JuJu in the same bracket to a host of other head scratching moves. We watch in shock as their next befuddlement is forced upon the teams and us fans.
The committee may have wanted more exposure as I wrote, however as most of the decisions they reveal this one smacks of short sightedness. More pub may have been the goal, as you suggest the opposite may very well be the result. It would come as no surprise to most here and obviously you Oldhusky: that the committee needs help.

It might create more pub for the sport, but I'm not sure. Some (the fans of top contenders) might tune in to the first but not the second. Fans of other teams on the bubble may not watch the first day. If on the other hand many fans of top teams tune in on the second night to see who they face in the first or second round maybe overall viewership goes up.

Two nights vs. one, but the interest in both nights diminished by the new format IMO.

You are probably right, and I am no fan of their decision. I was looking for what this new edict may do to make the tourney better. The one possibility I thought of was that this may generate more pub. As you suggest it may actually have the opposite effect, which makes more sense.
It's time for the committee to make decisions that are better for the game, which in turn means better for the players, better for the Universities and better for the fans. Time for decisions the committee makes to advance the game in all facets and stop making I wonder if this will get us noticed decisions. Many now think the committee is a joke, I am one of them.

 

[Vowelguy]

As noted earlier I think it is unnecessary tinkering, although obviously some think I’m all wet. Fine. But if they go this route why the need to make a public production out of it? Why not simply notify the handful of schools who are on the “top 16 bubble” privately?

who says it's a big production?
they will give the list to espn who will presumably release it during the halftime of a game on Saturday

 

[Vowelguy]

Why do they even need a selection show?

Why not just have the entire tournament in some gym without TV and be done with it?

People want to know the bracket and are willing to watch a TV show about it. Viewers -> ad dollars -> increases the value to ESPN and thus what to bid on the broadcast rights.