NCAA Officials: Expansion To 96 Teams 'Will Happen,' Likely in '11, No More NIT

[ChicosBailBonds]

anyone know about the tourney format?

Like this

EAST (Syracuse Regional)
New Orleans

Tuesday (March 16)

Game 1 - No. 9 Wake Forest vs. No. 24 Jacksonville
Game 2 - No. 12 Cornell vs. No. 21 Montana
Game 3 - No. 13 Virginia Tech vs. No. 20 Northeastern
Game 4 - No. 16 Seton Hall vs. No. 17 Wofford

Thursday (March 18)

Game 5 - No. 1 Kentucky vs. Seton Hall/Wofford winner
Game 6 - No. 8 Texas vs. Wake Forest/Jacksonville winner
Game 7 - No. 4 Wisconsin vs. Virginia Tech/Illinois State winner
Game 8 - No. 5 Temple vs. Cornell-Montana winner

Saturday (Mar. 20)

Game 9 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner
San Jose

Wednesday (March 17)

Game 1 – No. 15 Wichita State vs. No.18 William & Mary
Game 2 – No. 10 Missouri vs. No. 23 East Tennessee State
Game 3 – No. 11 Washington vs. No. 22 Morgan State
Game 4 – No. 14 UAB vs. No. 19 Illinois State

Friday (March 19)

Game 5 – No. 2 West Virginia vs. Wichita State/William & Mary winner
Game 6 – No. 7 Clemson vs. Missouri/East Tennessee winner
Game 7 – No. 3 New Mexico vs. UAB/Illinois State winner
Game 8 – No. 6 Marquette vs. Washington/Morgan State winner

Sunday (March 20)

Game 9 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner
SOUTH REGION (Houston)
Jacksonville

Wednesday (Mar. 17)

Game 1 – No. 9 Louisville vs. No. 24 Stony Brook
Game 2 – No. 12 Utah State vs. No. 21 Weber State
Game 3 – No. 13 Arizona State vs. No.20 Robert Morris
Game 4 – No. 16 UConn vs. No. 17 Siena

Friday (Mar. 19)

Game 5 – No. 1 Duke vs. UConn/Siena winner
Game 6 – No. 8 California vs. Louisville/Stony Brook winner
Game 7 – No. 4 Purdue vs. Arizona State/Robert Morris winner
Game 8 – No. 5 Texas A&M vs. Utah State/Weber State winner

Sunday (Mar. 21)

Game 9 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner
Providence

Tuesday (Mar.16)

Game 1 – No. 15 Dayton vs. No. 18 Tulsa
Game 2 – No. 10 St. Mary’s vs. No. 23 Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Game 3 – No. 11 Old Dominion vs. No. 22 Winthrop
Game 4 – No. 14 Rhode Island vs. No. 19 Sam Houston State

Thursday (Mar. 18)

Game 5 – No. 2 Villanova vs. Dayton/Tulsa winner
Game 6 – No. 7 Richmond vs. St. Mary’s/Arkansas-Pine Bluff winner
Game 7 – No. 3 Baylor vs. Rhode Island/Sam Houston State winner
Game 8 – No. 6 Notre Dame vs. Old Dominion/Winthrop winner

Saturday (Mar. 20)

Game 9 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner
MIDWEST REGION (St. Louis)
Oklahoma City

Tuesday (Mar. 16)

Game 1 – No. 9 Northern Iowa vs. No. 24 Quinnipiac
Game 2 – No. 12 Mississippi State vs. UC Santa Barbara
Game 3 – No. 13 Cincinnati vs. No. 20 Ohio
Game 4 – No. 16 North Carolina vs. No. 17 St. John’s

Thursday (Mar. 18)

Game 5 – No. 1 Kansas vs. North Carolina/St. John’s
Game 6 – No. 8 UNLV vs. Northern Iowa/Quinnipiac winner
Game 7 – No. 5 Michigan State vs. Mississippi State/UC Santa Barbara winner
Game 8 – No. 4 Maryland vs. Cincinnati/Ohio winner

Saturday (Mar. 20)

Game 9 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Milwaukee

Wednesday (Mar. 17)

Game 1 – No. 15 South Florida vs. No. 18 Texas Tech
Game 2 – No. 10 Georgia Tech vs. No. 23 Troy
Game 3 – No. 11 San Diego State vs. No. 22 Lehigh
Game 4 – No. 14 New Mexico State vs. No. 19 Houston

Friday (Mar. 19)

Game 5 – No. 2 Ohio State vs. South Florida/Texas Tech winner
Game 6 – No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. Georgia Tech/Troy winner
Game 7 – No. 3 Georgetown vs. New Mexico State/Houston winner
Game 8 – No. 6 Tennessee vs. San Diego State/Lehigh winner

Sunday (Mar. 21)

Game 9 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs.Game 8 winner
WEST REGIONAL
Buffalo

Wednesday (Mar. 17)

Game 1 – No. 9 Florida State vs. No. 24 Jackson State
Game 2 – No. 12 UTEP vs. No. 21 Oakland
Game 3 – No. 13 Illinois vs. No. 20 Coastal Carolina
Game 4 – No. 16 Kent State vs. No. 17 N.C. State

Friday (Mar. 19)

Game 5 – No. 1 Syracuse vs. Kent State/NC State winner
Game 6 – No. 8 Gonzaga vs. Florida State/Jackson State winner
Game 7 – No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. Illinois/Coastal Carolina winner
Game 8 – No. 5 Butler vs. UTEP/Oakland winner

Sunday (Mar. 21)

Game 9 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner
Spokane

Tuesday (Mar. 16)

Game 1 – No. 15 Memphis vs. No. 18 Murray State
Game 2 – No. 10 Florida vs. Vermont
Game 3 – No. 11 Minnesota vs. North Texas State
Game 4 – No. 14 Mississippi vs. No. 19 Nevada

Thursday (Mar.18)

Game 5 – No. 2 Kansas State vs. Memphis/Murray State winner
Game 6 – No. 7 BYU vs. Florida/Vermont winner
Game 7 – No. 3 Pitt vs. Mississippi/Nevada winner
Game 8 – No. 6 Xavier vs. Minnesota/North Texas winner

Saturday (Mar. 20)

Game 9 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner

[ChicosBailBonds]

If the tournament did expand to 96 teams and the expansion of the Big 10 led to the falling apart of the Big East is it possible Marquette could go back to Independent status?  It seems with a completely open schedule they could balance "buy games" with rival games and home and homes with bigger schools.  We wouldn't have to share our Tournament money with the downside being we wouldn't benefit from any other school's tournament wins.

Just tossin' it out there.

The advantage of a conference is guaranteed scheduling and guaranteed money through a revenue share.  Don't think independent status would ever work again in college basketball

[PGsHeroes32]

So chico, with your layout(thanks by the way) i didnt want to read through all of it, but my first comment was regarding would the first 32 get byes and the other 64 play in, to get it back to the typical 64? That seems like what your format is, but i couldnt tell forsure.

[Litehouse]

After looking at that proposed bracket, I think this would be awesome for hoops junkies, like most of us here are.  The only downside I can see is that I would now have 4 days in a row where I'd get nothing done at work.

This could also be huge for MU, as access to the tourney is the most important thing keeping schools like us at the top level.

For those saying teams would mail it in at the end, I think it would basically create two bubbles, those fighting to get in, and those fighting for the bye.  That first round bye would be huge and teams hovering in the 7-10 range would now have much more to play for down the stretch.

[ChicosBailBonds]

So chico, with your layout(thanks by the way) i didnt want to read through all of it, but my first comment was regarding would the first 32 get byes and the other 64 play in, to get it back to the typical 64? That seems like what your format is, but i couldnt tell forsure.

Correct, first 32 teams get a bye and the other 64 play in.

The way I see it, you could actually have this tournament setup without even adding a week.  You play the "first round" games on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The winners then play the bye teams on Thursday and Friday (just like it's setup today).

Basically instead of send 8 teams to a regional, you send 12 teams....4 of them are knocked off on the first day and the remaining 8 function just like the tournament does today.  Essentially you're adding two more sessions (morning and evening) on another day.   

I would do it that very week....it would suck to play in that first round logistically, but we make the 65 vs 64 do this very same thing.  The teams are announced Sunday night and they tip off two days later, so it's basically the same deal.  Besides, the teams that are not one of the top 32 teams, should have to work a little harder, travel faster, shorter time to prepare, etc.

[ChicosBailBonds]

After looking at that proposed bracket, I think this would be awesome for hoops junkies, like most of us here are.  The only downside I can see is that I would now have 4 days in a row where I'd get nothing done at work.

This could also be huge for MU, as access to the tourney is the most important thing keeping schools like us at the top level.

For those saying teams would mail it in at the end, I think it would basically create two bubbles, those fighting to get in, and those fighting for the bye.  That first round bye would be huge and teams hovering in the 7-10 range would now have much more to play for down the stretch.

DING DING DING.   It absolutely gives teams something to play for because you want that first round bye in a HUGE way, especially if they add the extra game the same day of the week.

All these people on the radio and talking heads on tv that basically wouldn't know how to run a tournament if it landed in their lap have not thought this through at all.