Expansion of Tourney 'Probable'

[pick6pedro]

Jesus, I hope they are not using Belichick's definition of "probable".

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/tournament/2010/news/story?id=5043254

In related news, select NCAA basketball teams will start playing a pre-season tournament against all the BCS game winners in Tokyo...1st half on the court, 2nd half on the gridiron. And if no clear winner emerges from all of this, a two-man sack race will be held on consecutive Sundays until a champion can be crowned.

[Endless Mike]

96 would be ridiculous. I would be fine with adding 3 more teams so each bracket has a play-in, but that's it.

[b0mberMan]

96 would be ridiculous.

I agree. It's UPSURD to leave the 97th best team out of the tourney. I demand a play in game.

[eepstein0]

That predicted BC vs. St. John's match-up in the first round really would have been exciting. I also imagine those teams would have done really well against Kentucky in the next round

[BCFAN94]

96 would be ridiculous. I would be fine with adding 3 more teams so each bracket has a play-in, but that's it.

I disagree. Open it up to 384 teams and eliminate the play in game.

Agree. Why don't they just eliminate the regular season and make the whole season one big NCAA tournament.

[BCEagle74]

96 would be ridiculous. I would be fine with adding 3 more teams so each bracket has a play-in, but that's it.

That was the best idea to add 3 more play in games.

The TV contract is up and 31 more games to get to 64, with all that huge revenue and the ESPN bidding with CBS.

Here it comes....

74 predicts....!!!

A SPLIT CONTRACT LIKE BASEBALL....maybe for the first few years ESPN gets a great split, but the Final Four stays with CBS....or ESPN does better and gets a 50-50 deal and future Final Fours??

96 is tough since you get 32 first game byes.

Here comes Knight, Vitale, Lunardi and Digger!!! ..and the asshole Gottlieb.

CBS blackballed all 3 in their teams coverage.

Soon it will be 128.

Then when Alsleep Barcolounger Skinner gets rehired....nevermind...he will be one and done.

[eepstein0]

In the spirit of '81, I suggest we break the NCAA down into massive mascot conferences.

Wildcat Conference:

Kansas State
Kentucky
Northwestern
Arizona
Bethune-Cookman
Davidson

I also suggest we need to put one Cabal/Big-Um in each conference for balance. I think we'd dominate the Eagle conference for the most part.

[Endless Mike]

It's pretty funny that the NCAA's plan to make money in hoops involves expanding the tournament, while the plan for football involves aggressively blocking any type of tournament for I-A.

[BCEagle74]

31 Games is trillions and we pay off Health Care.

[Endless Mike]

That predicted BC vs. St. John's match-up in the first round really would have been exciting. I also imagine those teams would have done really well against Kentucky in the next round

If you're going to add more teams, it makes sense just for symmetry's sake to have a play-in for each bracket. That makes more sense to me than going to 96 teams. And if a play-in winner/16 seed has no chance, then what chance does a 24-seed have?

[Art Vandelay]

96 would be ridiculous. I would be fine with adding 3 more teams so each bracket has a play-in, but that's it.

96 teams is beyond ridiculous and will ruin the tournament for me. 13 fucking Big east teams would have made it this year if it was 96. Talk about making the regular season meaningless. Plus all the fun arguments about who is in and who is out for a month leading up to selection sunday would be gone. I have those arguments all the time but its just stupid to fight over whether a team thats right around .500 and sub .500 in conference should be in. This is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard.

[eepstein0]

96 would be ridiculous. I would be fine with adding 3 more teams so each bracket has a play-in, but that's it.

96 teams is beyond ridiculous and will ruin the tournament for me. 13 fucking Big east teams would have made it this year if it was 96. Talk about making the regular season meaningless. Plus all the fun arguments about who is in and who is out for a month leading up to selection sunday would be gone. I have those arguments all the time but its just stupid to fight over whether a team thats right around .500 and sub .500 in conference should be in. This is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard.

It's all about the $$$$. More games = More $$$$. Unfortunately:

[pick6pedro]

When the bubble has every single power conference team still on it with one game remaining, you've officially failed in designing your postseason. Honestly, you may even start to see forfeits in the conference tournaments. No, not dogging it on the court - they literally won't fly in to play.

[BCEagles25]

A note to the NCAA:

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[AMDG]

I would endorse going to 96 wioth the requirement that all 96 teams have an overall winning record and a conference (including tournements)winning record.

Going to 64 killed the conference tournements.

Going to 96 will kill the regular season.

[talon]

NEW YORK -- Steve Lavin sees nine seniors and nearly as many close losses and figures the St. John's team he inherits isn't too far from returning to the NCAA tournament.

"When I hear him say that, I don't think it's dreaming," said the school's president, the Rev. Donald J. Harrington. "I think it's quite possible and I would even say probable that in a year or two that's where we'll be."

[1981Eagle]

This is all about money. I F'n hate that schools that are mediocre get to now play in the96 team Bball tourney. Making the tourney should mean something. That you have achieved a very good season. It will become like Fball where 6-6 and 7-5 teams go to bowls. Making a bowl has become a lot less meaningful. Under the current system, BC would have gone to 5-10 bolws from 1960-1984 instead of nada. But, it just goes along with today's new soceity. When I was a kid, you got a trophy if you won the Little League Cship or were on the All-Star team. One day, when my kids were younger, my son came home with a trophy after warming the bench all year. I said "What's that for?" He said every kid gets one for completing the season. I'm sorry but this rewarding of mediocrity has got to stop at some point. I guess it starts in Little League and now is all the way up to the NCAA now.

[Endless Mike]

http://eagleoutsider.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4317

[1981Eagle]

I hope hockey expands to 96 teams as well. Imagine St. Sebastian's vs. No. Dakota, Edina HS vs. UNH, Catholic Memorial vs. Alabama Huntsville and Hingham High vs. Minnesota Duluth in the opening round.

I want Marlboro to play Bemidji. WTF is a Bemidji.