NCAA Tournament field of 350?

[Pakuni]

 Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoops

BREAKING: The ACC coaches will propose an all-inclusive NCAA tournament, sources told @Stadium. The coaches just finished the call and voted unanimously on this.

[Galway Eagle]

Hell yeah just for the one off time it definitely should happen

[The Sultan]

Divide the country into four geographic regions, then randomly draw the entire thing.  Duke v. UNC in the first round?  Fine by me. 

[GooooMarquette]

So will schools hang banners to commemorate their tournament appearance?

Seriously, this may be the only way we have college hoops this season, but I'd like to hear more about the plans. Bubbles? Fans? Lots to decide.

[DFW HOYA]

An idea whose time has not come. Never mind the sheer complexity of a seven week tournament, what do you tell the 100 schools knocked out in week 1--sorry, short season?

[We R Final Four]

Divide the country into four geographic regions, then randomly draw the entire thing.  Duke v. UNC in the first round?  Fine by me.

I'm sure that will happen.

[The Sultan]

An idea whose time has not come. Never mind the sheer complexity of a seven week tournament, what do you tell the 100 schools knocked out in week 1--sorry, short season?

It would add a grand total of one extra week to the tournament.

And it wouldn't be the only college basketball played all year.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Depaul is celebrating!

[5DollarPitcher]

Depaul is celebrating!

Wojo is celebrating.  More ammo for the Projos when he conquers Stetson University to break the seal on his first tourney win.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

To clarify, is this proposal instead of a season? Or is it proposing a season to determine seeding in a tournament that everyone gets invited to?

[Pakuni]

To clarify, is this proposal instead of a season? Or is it proposing a season to determine seeding in a tournament that everyone gets invited to?

It would be a postseason tournament, not a replacement for the regular season. Though some think it's a precursor to the cancellation of the nonconference schedule. So, basically teams would play their conference schedule only and then everyone gets into the postseason tournament.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Aren't conferences talking about "Conference only Schedules" in which case may be tournament seeding may be tricky?

[Warrior Code]

With how weird this year already is, I think I'd love to see the NCAA take the "leftover surprise" route and throw everyone into the pot and see what happens.

[WhiteTrash]

And who cares what the ACC thinks?

[We R Final Four]

Yeah.....I don't think the NCAA is planning a 1 game season for 1/2 of all D1 schools.

[🏀]

Seems relevant.

https://www.youtube.com/v/bUMjK2HjZz8

[Billy Hoyle]

I think it should be like the FA Cup which starts with 736 teams. Have the low majors matched up early in the "qualifying rounds," mid-majors start after that, then high majors start in the third or fourth round. Who wants to see Villanova playing Grambling in the first round?

The first six rounds are the Qualifying Competition, from which 32 teams progress to the first round of the Competition Proper, meeting the first of the 48 professional teams from Leagues One and Two. The last entrants are the Premier League and Championship clubs, into the draw for the Third Round Proper.[2] In the modern era, only one non-League team has ever reached the quarter-finals, and teams below Level 2 have never reached the final.[note 1] As a result, significant focus is given to the smaller teams who progress furthest, especially if they achieve an unlikely "giant-killing" victory.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Aren't conferences talking about "Conference only Schedules" in which case may be tournament seeding may be tricky?

Yeah, any sort of postseason with multiple conference is going to be tricky if there's no postseason. I think that might be what the ACC was trying to address with this suggestion. Seeding will still be tricky but you take out the complication of selection. At least no one gets left out unfairly.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

So if all D1 teams are included, that would be 357 teams (353 from last season + the additions of Bellarmine, Dixie State, Tarleton State, and UC San Diego).

IIRC, new additions to D1 are on a 4 year "probation" before they are eligible for the NCAA tournament. That knocks off seven new additions in the last few years (The 4 added this season, Merrimack, North Alabama, and California Baptist). Finally, Oklahoma State is on a postseason ban. I'm not sure if any other schools have a postseason ban this season.

Assuming the postseason bans apply to the proposed tournament, the would mean a 349 team tournament. Someone smarter than me, what would the most efficient setup be for a 349 team single elimination tournament?

[Billy Hoyle]

So if all D1 teams are included, that would be 357 teams (353 from last season + the additions of Bellarmine, Dixie State, Tarleton State, and UC San Diego).

IIRC, new additions to D1 are on a 4 year "probation" before they are eligible for the NCAA tournament. That knocks off seven new additions in the last few years (The 4 added this season, Merrimack, North Alabama, and California Baptist). Finally, Oklahoma State is on a postseason ban. I'm not sure if any other schools have a postseason ban this season.

Assuming the postseason bans apply to the proposed tournament, the would mean a 349 team tournament. Someone smarter than me, what would the most efficient setup be for a 349 team single elimination tournament?

That number could change. APR for 2019-20 will be submitted 8 weeks after the start of classes and could eliminate more teams.

[The Sultan]

So if all D1 teams are included, that would be 357 teams (353 from last season + the additions of Bellarmine, Dixie State, Tarleton State, and UC San Diego).

IIRC, new additions to D1 are on a 4 year "probation" before they are eligible for the NCAA tournament. That knocks off seven new additions in the last few years (The 4 added this season, Merrimack, North Alabama, and California Baptist). Finally, Oklahoma State is on a postseason ban. I'm not sure if any other schools have a postseason ban this season.

Assuming the postseason bans apply to the proposed tournament, the would mean a 349 team tournament. Someone smarter than me, what would the most efficient setup be for a 349 team single elimination tournament?

So if you simply go two extra rounds, that would be a 256 team tournament.  (First round gets you to 128.  Second round to 64.  Normal from there on out.)

But to get down to 256 from 349, you would need 186 teams to play 93 preliminary round games.  (93 preliminary round winners plus 163 "byes" equals 256.)

[GooooMarquette]

That number could change. APR for 2019-20 will be submitted 8 weeks after the start of classes and could eliminate more teams.

I would also assume that teams would have to undergo testing prior to admission to the tournament. That could whittle the number down some more....

[CountryRoads]

What would be the point of the regular season other than seeding? The idea of a 350 team tournament is cool but would rather see it at the beginning of the year versus the end.

[The Sultan]

What would be the point of the regular season other than seeding?

The fun of playing and watching basketball.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

Cool Scene Here

Might be Wojo's best chance to get a tourney win ever.....I mean, if the other team gets Covid 19 then Wojo gets his first NCAA tourney win to put on the banner!!!  Things are looking up!