68 team format will be last 4 bubbles and lowest 4 autos in 4 play in games

[HouWarrior]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5374116
The 4 16 seeds (autos) will playing, as will the last 4 bubble (at larges--historically 11-13) and winners will slot in to where such seed would normally play. Dayton is not yet set for all 4 games. At least the last 4 at larges playing into tourn., will add a little fun to the early games...the 16s playing are not very compelling.
For all the talk and possibilities/options  this seems a bit of an anticlimax.

[PGsHeroes32]

Yeah so basically it lets 4 extra teams in every year. Those last 4 out every other year will be playing in the real tourney now. Unless somehow a #16 shocks the world. I guess its possible for a 1 seed to lose their 1st game now.

[AhoyaX]

A decent compromise, I suppose, as Turner/CBS for sure wanted more marketable teams than the SWAC/Patriot/MEAC/etc conference winners, yet the power conference teams that usually comprise the "last four in" didn't want to be relegated to play-in games either.

[Brewtown Andy]

Unless somehow a #16 shocks the world. I guess its possible for a 1 seed to lose their 1st game now.

What now? 

[Ari Gold]

Yawn... doesn't matter. The games aren't even being broadcast on a real station. Can't wait to catch a game between two would be 16 seeds sandwiched between Operation Repo and a Forensic Files marathon on TruTV

Alert me when the 96 or 128 expansion happens, that's worth mentioning

[Mr. Nielsen]

I don't think Nancy Grace will be calling the game on Tru Tv.

[Benny B]

I guess its possible for a 1 seed to lose their 1st game now.

Logistically, how does this happen?  They're not going to slot a bubble team (historically an 11-13 seed) into a 16 seed, and they're not going to slot the winner of the SWAC into an 11-13 seed.  So unless they aren't drawing up the brackets until after the "play-in" games, I don't see how you make this make sense.  I'm all for putting the bubble team into the 16-hole (I love the underdog), but in that case, a #2 becomes preferable to a #1 seed.

[reinko]

Yawn... doesn't matter. The games aren't even being broadcast on a real station. Can't wait to catch a game between two would be 16 seeds sandwiched between Operation Repo and a Forensic Files marathon on TruTV

Alert me when the 96 or 128 expansion happens, that's worth mentioning

Operation Repo is tits.

[g0lden3agle]

Logistically, how does this happen?  They're not going to slot a bubble team (historically an 11-13 seed) into a 16 seed, and they're not going to slot the winner of the SWAC into an 11-13 seed.  So unless they aren't drawing up the brackets until after the "play-in" games, I don't see how you make this make sense.  I'm all for putting the bubble team into the 16-hole (I love the underdog), but in that case, a #2 becomes preferable to a #1 seed.

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this myself...  


EDIT:  I get it now! Per the article: " Guerrero and Shaheen said the last four at-large teams would be put on the seed line the committee decided they earned. So, this could mean that two could be considered No. 12 seeds playing for the right to play a No. 5 and two could be No. 11s vying to play a No. 6 in the second round."

So the last four at-large are playing each other, and the last 4 auto qualifiers are playing each other.  

IMO ESPN's article does a pretty awful job of conveying this format though....

The more I think about it, I'm still not sure I've got this... If my description is correct, wouldn't there be a 5 seed and a 6 seed that would have a huge advantage over the other similar seeds, as they would be playing a team that had just played a couple days prior?

[HelixAir6]

Logistically, how does this happen?  They're not going to slot a bubble team (historically an 11-13 seed) into a 16 seed, and they're not going to slot the winner of the SWAC into an 11-13 seed.  So unless they aren't drawing up the brackets until after the "play-in" games, I don't see how you make this make sense.  I'm all for putting the bubble team into the 16-hole (I love the underdog), but in that case, a #2 becomes preferable to a #1 seed.

I think essentially what happens is there are 2 sets of play in games, 2 games for the #16 seed and 2 games for either the 12, 11, or 10 seed. The last four automatic bids play each other for the 2 #16 seeds and the last four at large teams play each other for the 2 #12 seeds (or 11/10).  That way an at large team will not play a 1 seed in the new "second round."

[g0lden3agle]

I think essentially what happens is there are 2 sets of play in games, 2 games for the #16 seed and 2 games for either the 12, 11, or 10 seed. The last four automatic bids play each other for the 2 #16 seeds and the last four at large teams play each other for the #12 seed (or 11/10).  That way an at large team will not play a 1 seed in the new "second round."

This is what I was trying to figure out in my edit above.  If this is right, it seems whichever 5/6/7 seeded teams get the winner of these playin games would actually be at an advantage over the other 5/6/7 seeds, as they will be playing a team that already had to win a game to get into the "second round".

[bilsu]

I never watched the 65 vs 64 play in game. I would not have much interest in watching the 16's play. The last four at large sooner or later are going to include MU, UW or some other team that will peak my interest. I also would not want to be the higher seed playing the winner of one of these play in games. The winner of the play in game will have gotten past the first game jitters.

[Benny B]

The more I think about it, I'm still not sure I've got this... If my description is correct, wouldn't there be a 5 seed and a 6 seed that would have a huge advantage over the other similar seeds, as they would be playing a team that had just played a couple days prior?

Not necessarily.  The "first four" game could be considered a tune-up and therefore, potentially a disadvantage for a 5 or 6 that is waiting.

Most of us saw what Corey Hart did last night in the HR Derby.  Extra rest is not always a good thing (especially when the competition isn't resting).

[MU B2002]

Not necessarily.  The "first four" game could be considered a tune-up and therefore, potentially a disadvantage for a 5 or 6 that is waiting.

Most of us saw what Corey Hart did last night in the HR Derby.  Extra rest is not always a good thing (especially when the competition isn't resting).

I am not sure the Home run derby and an NCAA basketball game is an apples to apples comparison.

[Ari Gold]

I am not sure the Home run derby and an NCAA basketball game is an apples to apples comparison.

HR Derby / Play in game: Both are two of the stupidest things that sports offers. No one cares about either and a day after, its completely irrelevant

[g0lden3agle]

HR Derby / Play in game: Both are two of the stupidest things that sports offers. No one cares about either and a day after, its completely irrelevant

I would tend to agree about the play in game in it's previous form, but now that 4 11-13 seeds are going to be playing in an attempt to win and make it to the real dance I'm very intrigued.

[CTWarrior]

I would tend to agree about the play in game in it's previous form, but now that 4 11-13 seeds are going to be playing in an attempt to win and make it to the real dance I'm very intrigued.

Agreed, but it puts those of us who run large pools in a bind, as we need to collect everyone's pick sheets by as early as Tuesday noon, since people may want to pick play-in winners to win the traditional first round games.  5-12 and 6-11 seed games are popular upset picks.  In the years since expansion to 65, nobody in a pool I've been involved with has picked a play-in winner to advance.

[brewcity77]

Agreed, but it puts those of us who run large pools in a bind, as we need to collect everyone's pick sheets by as early as Tuesday noon, since people may want to pick play-in winners to win the traditional first round games.  5-12 and 6-11 seed games are popular upset picks.  In the years since expansion to 65, nobody in a pool I've been involved with has picked a play-in winner to advance.

If these games are significant, as they are indicating, I agree completely. It's enough of a pain getting everyone to turn their brackets in by Wednesday night, having to turn them around by Tuesday afternoon, especially at a workplace where you won't be handing brackets out until Monday, is a pain in the rear.

I think that the NCAA has to realize how much interest they get from people that don't care the rest of the year. The secretary, the non-sports guy, everyone is interested in the NCAAs because of the office pool. The same thing happened at my job during the World Cup this year because we had a pool going. People who've never watched the sport were asking me questions about the games, who would win, and talking about how they were cheering for countries they previously had no care about. The same thing happens every March, and it is a huge part of what makes March Madness so special, that uninterested person that is suddenly a die-hard college basketball fan for three and a half weeks.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I'm going to wait 5 years before I decide if this is a good thing or not.

[4everwarriors]

I'm going to wait 5 years before I decide if this is a good thing or not.
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So, you really don't like the idea.