Ross Dellenger: NCAA presented with two plans to expand NCAA tournament by 4 or 8 teams

[freescooter]

I wish it went back to 64 like most of you but the P4 want more spots and they will get them. Like in real life, I blame both the rich and the poor for this problem. The P4 are consolidating which makes it harder for the likes of the MW, AAC, and WCC to get teams in. Division 2 schools have been flooding in over the last 40 years necessitating more auto bids.

I would be okay with a setup where it goes back to 64 teams but only the top 24-ranked conference champs get in. 40 at-large selections satisfy the P4, and the teams that are mooching at the bottom have to actually work for it.

I have a slightly different view. I like having all league champs getting in. They earned it by winning. I want fewer mediocre majors. There is no world where a team that finishes under .500 in its league belongs in the NCAA tournament never mind under .500 on its season. And there is no way a team that finished in the bottom half of its league belongs there either. They had 2 chances to qualify. Win in the regular season or win the conference tourney. If they failed in both, go home and figure out how to get better for next season. Don’t penalize winners to reward mediocrity.

 

[storrsroars]

I would be okay with a setup where it goes back to 64 teams but only the top 24-ranked conference champs get in. 40 at-large selections satisfy the P4, and the teams that are mooching at the bottom have to actually work for it.

So you'd eliminate UMBC and UVA never loses an all-time upset?

All 32 AQs get in, preferably to the main 64. All the at-larges had their shot and didn't win their leagues. Let the most mediocre of them fight it out in the play-ins.

 

[shizzle787]

So you'd eliminate UMBC and UVA never loses an all-time upset?

All 32 AQs get in, preferably to the main 64. All the at-larges had their shot and didn't win their leagues. Let the most mediocre of them fight it out in the play-ins.

UVA would have a played a better AQ as a 16 seed. Still might have lost.

 

[McLovin]

Feels like we are a few years away from the B1G and SEC seeking a guarantee that any school in their leagues that finish .500 or better in conference play gets an auto bid.

I’m actually surprised they haven’t already tried to do that.

 

[Ctedgeman]

I would personally like no expansion and to do away with the committee altogether. Just take like the 3 most respected metrics (kenpom, etc), aggregate the data to come up with a 1-64 superlist. For every team that wins an autobid who are not on the list, just drop off the lowest team on the list. No crying about getting snubbed, no leaving it up to subjective committee members who go completely against their own ranking system that they created.

 

[McLovin]

I would personally like no expansion and to do away with the committee altogether. Just take like the 3 most respected metrics (kenpom, etc), aggregate the data to come up with a 1-64 superlist. For every team that wins an autobid who are not on the list, just drop off the lowest team on the list. No crying about getting snubbed, no leaving it up to subjective committee members who go completely against their own ranking system that they created.

I agree it should be metrics based but the current metrics would need to be reworked slightly because every coach knows how to game the system now.

 

[champs99and04]

If it guarantees the P2 won't take their ball and make their own tournament, then I'm all for it.

You can't negotiate with these folks from a position of fear. Give an inch and they'll take a mile.

Besides, the outcome you fear is inevitable, anyway. The NCAA - and by extension, the NCAA Tournament - is on borrowed time, and whatever replaces it will almost certainly be controlled by the P2.

But that doesn't mean they have all the leverage. This isn't football, where you can simply consolidate the sports' biggest brands into two leagues and start printing money like you're the NFL. In CBB, the uncertainty and randomness is what drives the intrigue. People genuinely do not want to see the 10th or 11th place SEC team in the dance. That's what the people in our league office need to be reminding them of as opposed to kissing their ass out of fear of being left out.

 

[freescooter]

I would personally like no expansion and to do away with the committee altogether. Just take like the 3 most respected metrics (kenpom, etc), aggregate the data to come up with a 1-64 superlist. For every team that wins an autobid who are not on the list, just drop off the lowest team on the list. No crying about getting snubbed, no leaving it up to subjective committee members who go completely against their own ranking system that they created.

That is more or less the NCAA hockey system. Though they have their own metric. Every conference champ is in, then the at large bids go according to PWR ranking.

 

[freescooter]

You can't negotiate with these folks from a position of fear. Give an inch and they'll take a mile.

Besides, the outcome you fear is inevitable, anyway. The NCAA - and by extension, the NCAA Tournament - is on borrowed time, and whatever replaces it will almost certainly be controlled by the P2.

But that doesn't mean they have all the leverage. This isn't football, where you can simply consolidate the sports' biggest brands into two leagues and start printing money like you're the NFL. In CBB, the uncertainty and randomness is what drives the intrigue. People genuinely do not want to see the 10th or 11th place SEC team in the dance. That's what the people in our league office need to be reminding them of as opposed to kissing their ass out of fear of being left out.

I think it would be really helpful if you could get the ACC or B12 to join with the others instead of trying to be mini-mes to the P2. if they want to go and have there own B10-sec challenge, tell them “See Ya.”

 

[UConnTrumbull]

I think it would be really helpful if you could get the ACC or B12 to join with the others instead of trying to be mini-mes to the P2. if they want to go and have there own B10-sec challenge, tell them “See Ya.”

They’ll find out soon enough once FSU/Clemson/UNC/UVa bolt.

 

[temery]

Either cut the field so the NIT means something, or expand to the point the last few out are no better than the crappy automatic bids that lose quickly.

 

[ScottVib]

I could easily see the P4 actually preferring the play-in games being all at large teams. No matter what you still get the first unit... and if you win the play-in, you get an extra unit. P4 teams dumping mediocre teams into the tournament to play other mediocre teams are essentially guaranteeing themselves extra units and from a network perspective, they draw better ratings than Texas Southern vs SIU-Edwardsville.

You can argue to the low AQ conferences, that you threw them a bone by guaranteeing them spots in the final 64.. when in fact you're actually reducing their revenue by eliminating the extra unit for winning a play-in.