NCAA President Charlie Baker Gives NCAA Tournament Expansion Update

[7774]

Not a math guy? 2^7 =128. 2^6=64. It’s literally 1 game.

?? Again, the current tournament has 67 total games to determine a champion. In a 128 team tournament there would be 64 games just in the new first round. You’re saying they are somehow going to fit an entire NCAA tournament‘s worth of games into the small window between the end of the conference tournaments and the normal start of the tournament. It’s not a video game, there are real life logistical aspects to things.

 

[uconnyankee]

?? Again, the current tournament has 67 total games to determine a champion. In a 128 team tournament there would be 64 games just in the new first round. You’re saying they are somehow going to fit an entire NCAA tournament‘s worth of games into the small window between the end of the conference tournaments and the normal start of the tournament. It’s not a video game, there are real life logistical aspects to things.

One is talking ‘rounds’ the other is talking games.

The first round currently is 32 games after the play ins (64 teams)

If you go to 128, that first round is 64 games.

 

[Dogfish]

And...the Big East still only gets three teams in,

 

[BlueHen]

Seems like they just want to find a way to have every power conference school in the field.

On the other and, if the larger field generates more money that could be good for UConn. The more money basketball brings to the table, the better for the Huskies.

 

[Tenspro2002]

either 72 or 76 makes sense.

first make the other two 16 seeds play-ins. that's 70 teams. then make the other two 11 seeds play-ins. that's 72. and then make all four 10 seeds play-ins. thats 76.

of course whichever seed lines are play-ins will change every year depending on where the last 8 bubble teams get seeded. usually tho it will be the 11 and 10 seeds.

There is no way they would do it by having a preponderance of play-in games for the at-larges.

The whole point is the P4 wants to squeeze out the low majors. They'll make all the 15 seeds play a play-in game before a single 10 seed.

 

[El Obrero]

All I’m seeing here is UConn’s margin of victory going up again.

 

[Palatine]

They want to expand the field at the exact time when college basketball is being made less competitive by NIL. Fewer and fewer teams will have a chance at a Natty as the talent coalesces around a smaller and smaller circle of teams. Insanity.

 

[Stew Crew]

What is this, Hockey? Just go 128. It will still be well below the 50% of NHL teams the make the playoffs.
And make the final the best of 3. This way we can watch college basketball till June.

If you go to 128, might as well go to 256 and have a 4th weekend of games.

Regarding hockey, in the 80s 16 of 21 teams made the playoffs and the Whalers still struggled to make the playoffs.

 

[MJ1]

And...the Big East still only gets three teams in,

Wow, once in the last 12 years the Big East only gets 3 teams in and that is your narrative.

 

[bendm]

There is no way they would do it by having a preponderance of play-in games for the at-larges.

The whole point is the P4 wants to squeeze out the low majors. They'll make all the 15 seeds play a play-in game before a single 10 seed.

So make all 16,15,14 seeds play-ins and get rid of the two 11 seed play-ins? No ones going to watch those games and we won’t have any more cinderellas in the first round

 

[shizzle787]

There is no way they would do it by having a preponderance of play-in games for the at-larges.

The whole point is the P4 wants to squeeze out the low majors. They'll make all the 15 seeds play a play-in game before a single 10 seed.

Actually, they will because Wagner vs. St. Peter’s doesn’t sell. If it goes to 76, I expect 6 or 8 of the 12 matchups to feature at-larges.

 

[shizzle787]

I would prefer the tournament go back to 64, but that is not going to happen. If it goes to 76, it will be good for the Big East and by extension UConn.

 

[DogMania]

I recommend they go to the college bowl system where just about every program that came close to a winning season or better receives an invite, then a bunch of yahoos vote for who they think is the Nation Champion. (I still can't believe it took so many decades to get the FSB playoff system. Good grief! Had to be the all time most anticlimactic championship decision ever in the history of sport.)

 

[Tenspro2002]

Actually, they will because Wagner vs. St. Peter’s doesn’t sell. If it goes to 76, I expect 6 or 8 of the 12 matchups to feature at-larges.

No, but forcing the minnows into play-in games means the actual Round 1 on Thursday/Friday includes more P4 teams, which is what they want, and this is the only way they get it without sacrificing the "auto bids" for the low majors.

 

[REB1094]

The way this would be executed is that a 14-16 power conference team will make it in because they went 2-7 in Q1 while a 25-5 mid major misses out because they lost their conference championship

I’m with Jon Rothstein on this one. The only change that should be made right now is that all AQ’ers should be in the field, and the first four should be the bottom 8 at large teams. It’s insane that you can win your conference championship but still have to win another game to get to R64

 

[JohnFSilver]

The biggest issue in either scenario is what does Field of 68 do? Would they have to rebrand and lose all the brand equity they have built? Or keep the brand and have a name that makes no sense. Tough one...

Just like the Big 10 and Big 12?

 

[SwingDog]

The biggest issue in either scenario is what does Field of 68 do? Would they have to rebrand and lose all the brand equity they have built? Or keep the brand and have a name that makes no sense. Tough one...

They only have 47k subscribers. They should rebrand now and drop the number.

 

[uconnfan68]

?? Again, the current tournament has 67 total games to determine a champion. In a 128 team tournament there would be 64 games just in the new first round. You’re saying they are somehow going to fit an entire NCAA tournament‘s worth of games into the small window between the end of the conference tournaments and the normal start of the tournament. It’s not a video game, there are real life logistical aspects to things.

The winning team plays 7 games instead of 6. So one extra night for a game. All 64 games can be played simultaneously, then run a “regular” tournament.

 

[7774]

The winning team plays 7 games instead of 6. So one extra night for a game. All 64 games can be played simultaneously, then run a “regular” tournament.

You don‘t seem to have good grasp of how things work in practical reality. Where are these games happening? I’m sure the television partners will be thrilled with 64 simultaneous games, those should get great ratings. You know a big part of this is the additional revenue generated by people watching these games and the ads that come with them right?

 

[WhereistheDove?]

The biggest issue in either scenario is what does Field of 68 do? Would they have to rebrand and lose all the brand equity they have built? Or keep the brand and have a name that makes no sense. Tough one...

Big 10 conference has 18 teams, Big 12 has 16, ACC has two teams from California…

It would make about as much sense as the rest of college athletics names.

 

[CT2SC]

I recommend they go to the college bowl system where just about every program that came close to a winning season or better receives an invite, then a bunch of yahoos vote for who they think is the Nation Champion. (I still can't believe it took so many decades to get the FSB playoff system. Good grief! Had to be the all time most anticlimactic championship decision ever in the history of sport.)

Could not disagree more. I hate the CFB playoff. College football was the greatest regular season in any sport and it’s being marginalized (for money of course) into this ridiculous playoff system with 3 loss teams and silly byes for winning mid major conferences.

 

[Rich]

This is important for when the B10 absorbs the B12. Gotta have those guaranteed 'at large' spots you know.....

 

[scotty0330]

NCAA wants no business cracking down on transfer portal to put some rules in place, nor NIL which is wild Wild West. They take on expanding the tournament. So perfect….glad we got Charlie baker in there…..

 

[Scrutineer]

Just like the Big 10 and Big 12?

Or the Atlantic Coast Conference featuring Cal and Stanford?

 

[Scrutineer]

NCAA wants no business cracking down on transfer portal to put some rules in place, nor NIL which is wild Wild West. They take on expanding the tournament. So perfect….glad we got Charlie baker in there…..

Just the usual "self preservation" type actions for the NCAA. Where will these guys go for the same level salaries if the NCAA no longer exists?