Stop the Insanity
So here I am looking at headlines like, NCAA to Weigh Expanding Basketball Tourney and Field of 128? Coaches want NCAA tourney expanded. Let me be the first to say, “They’ve done lost their freakin’ minds!”
In all seriousness, they should be removing the ridiculous “play-in” game and go back to the 64 team field. Because the tournament is single-elimination (which it definitely should remain; don’t get me started on the eternal, best-of-seven playoffs of the NBA) the regular season needs to mean something. Making the jump from 64 to 128 teams would add another round to the already demanding 6-straight-wins needed for a championship.
The whole time these people talk about expanding the field they say it’s because deserving teams aren’t making the field, but we know it’s really about money. The NCAA Tournament is one of sport’s highest rated events and adding more of it, which arguably would add more fun for fans, would make it tougher on the best teams in college basketball to win the grand prize. I just don’t think it’s in the best interest of the sport.
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I think it is more about coaches engaging in CYA. All those college coaches are buddy buddy with each other, and they know that if they don’t make the tourney two or three years in a row, many lose their jobs.
Therefore a tourney of 128 teams means that all those mediocre coaches in the bigger conferences that can at least manage to get their teams over .500 for the season get into the tournament and get to keep their jobs.
I’m sure that’s part of it, but if half of all the teams make the Tourney, it’s not nearly the true challenge of champions that it should be. Wouldn’t that mean Conference Tournaments are almost worthless?