NCAA Tournament expanding to 76 teams

[muwarrior69]

I'd argue it improves their odds of earning tourney credits and pulling off R1 upsets. All the single bid league admins that I talked to were in favor.

How about the multi bid leagues? If they're OK with it, it just might indicate March Madness will continue after 2032.

[The Sultan]

Yeah it's cool for the school. But it sucks for the players who make the Tournament and don't even get to truly play in the 64 team tournament.

Be better at basketball then.

[K1 Lover]

I don't get the 76 number. If you are going to expand, why not make it 80 - that way you'd have four play-in games for each region. Now, you're going to have three so I'm not sure how that is going to work. You'll have feeders for the four 16 seeds and the 11s and 12s? Or the 16s, 15s and 12s?

I was curious about this too so I asked ChatGPT since there doesn't seem to be any explanation online.

The reasoning it gave was that 12 play-in games over two days (at two locations) is logistically feasible, but add any more, and you start needing either more days or more sites to play at. Obviously there's no way to verify this was the true reason unless you're inside the NCAA, but I think it makes sense.

[muwarrior69]

Yeah it's cool for the school. But it sucks for the players who make the Tournament and don't even get to truly play in the 64 team tournament.

Does not matter. You are in the tournament. Marquette always played a play-in round when they expanded to a 24 team field.

[Billy Hoyle]

Sucks for the low majors.

Definitely. And I see this as a where low- and mid-major conference champs will be sent, while 18-14, 11th-place in the Big Ten, Minnesota will be part of the "main draw," while 27-7 Belmont, MVC champions, will be in the play-in games in Dayton or Salt Lake playing Tuesday or Wednesday night on Tru TV or Paramount+.

[muwarrior69]

I was curious about this too so I asked ChatGPT since there doesn't seem to be any explanation online.

The reasoning it gave was that 12 play-in games over two days (at two locations) is logistically feasible, but add any more, and you start needing either more days or more sites to play at. Obviously there's no way to verify this was the true reason unless you're inside the NCAA, but I think it makes sense.

Even if it was 80 they could easily play all those game in Dayton. The Big East Quarter Finals are played at one venue, MSG with afternoon and evening sessions. Two afternoon games and two evening games on Tuesday and Wednesday could be done.

[K1 Lover]

Even if it was 80 they could easily play all those game in Dayton. The Big East Quarter Finals are played at one venue, MSG with afternoon and evening sessions. Two afternoon games and two evening games on Tuesday and Wednesday could be done.

Regardless, I'm sure it's just a matter of dollars and cents. 4 games per day might still be feasible as you say, but clearly something about the math doesn't make it worth it to the NCAA.

[Farley36]

Marquette still won't come close to making it in.

[brewcity77]

Even if it was 80 they could easily play all those game in Dayton. The Big East Quarter Finals are played at one venue, MSG with afternoon and evening sessions. Two afternoon games and two evening games on Tuesday and Wednesday could be done.

Okay, what about the other 8 games? Expansion to 80 requires 16 games in the First Four.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

Marquette still won't come close to making it in.

[muwarrior69]

Okay, what about the other 8 games? Expansion to 80 requires 16 games in the First Four.

Ok 2 venues or better yet just have each pod host 2 preliminary games, First Four for each pod, that way the winner just stays at that location.

[muwarrior69]

I hope we are not asking that question at the end of next season.

[Scoop Snoop]

I hope we are not asking that question at the end of next season.

Bitching about the end of next season in April. Nice!

And before you reply with saying you started with "I hope we are not...". Bullsh!t! 

[muwarrior69]

Bitching about the end of next season in April. Nice!

And before you reply with saying you started with "I hope we are not...". Bullsh!t! 

Why so upset? It is a legit comment. No one here knows what next season will bring, even farley36. If we have a stellar season we'll all be happy, if not, not so much.

[CTWarrior]

I don't like it at all. 

Me neither, I'd prefer going back to 64 and adding a rule that if your in-conference record is under .500 and you don't win your conference tournament, you are ineligible for the NCAA tournament.  College sports is doing everything it can to eliminate the little guy and it sucks.

[The Sultan]

Me neither, I'd prefer going back to 64 and adding a rule that if your in-conference record is under .500 and you don't win your conference tournament, you are ineligible for the NCAA tournament.  College sports is doing everything it can to eliminate the little guy and it sucks.

Conference record should be irrelevant. It just punishes the top conferences.

[Billy Hoyle]

Conference record should be irrelevant. It just punishes the top conferences.

Meh. Fine with me. That's what they get for killing off other conferences for a money grab.

[mug644]

Meh. Fine with me. That's what they get for killing off other conferences for a money grab.

That's ok for you to have that opinion, but do you really believe that the power conferences, after making moves to hoard money and "kill off other conferences" will choose to go along with a tournament eligibility plan that punishes some of their teams?

[The Sultan]

Meh. Fine with me. That's what they get for killing off other conferences for a money grab.

Much better than a bunch of athletic programs that shouldn't be D1.

[Billy Hoyle]

That's ok for you to have that opinion, but do you really believe that the power conferences, after making moves to hoard money and "kill off other conferences" will choose to go along with a tournament eligibility plan that punishes some of their teams?

Of course, they won't. They want to get rid of auto bids altogether.

I enjoy seeing Mercer and Lehigh knocking off Duke, MTSU beat Michigan State, Georgia State and Yale taking down Baylor, Yale beating Auburn, Kentucky losing to NMSU, St. Peter's, and Oakland, and Bucky losing to James Madison and High Point far more than the cinderellas of the tournament being Texas and Iowa, and Butler, GMU, VCU, and Loyola making the Final Four. Others disagree, that's all good.

[MU82]

Of course, they won't. They want to get rid of auto bids altogether.

I enjoy seeing Mercer and Lehigh knocking off Duke, MTSU beat Michigan State, Georgia State and Yale taking down Baylor, Yale beating Auburn, Kentucky losing to NMSU, St. Peter's, and Oakland, and Bucky losing to James Madison and High Point far more than the cinderellas of the tournament being Texas and Iowa, and Butler, GMU, VCU, and Loyola making the Final Four. Others disagree, that's all good.

I enjoy it when mid-majors upset P5 teams, too. High Point over the Weasels was one of my favorite parts of this year's tournament.

And I enjoy the great games between power programs, such as the one Duke and UConn just gave us.

Is it OK to enjoy both, or does everybody have to pick a side here?

[CTWarrior]

Meh. Fine with me. That's what they get for killing off other conferences for a money grab.

This is how I feel, too.  If you can't win half the games in your own conference, you haven't earned the right to compete for the national championship.

At the same time, I think NIL and paying players is the end of the mid-major (and quite possibly the end of MU as a power because the Big East will continue to decline) anyway.  Only two NCAA tournaments since expansion began haven't had a mid-major in the sweet 16.  This year and last year. You're not going to have those mid-majors with three seniors and two juniors taking out a power conference team anymore, because those players will be sucked up by the power conference schools.

If you guys want to watch the SEC and Big 10 dominate college football and basketball, you will soon get your wish.

[MuMark]

Why so upset? It is a legit comment. No one here knows what next season will bring, even farley36. If we have a stellar season we'll all be happy, if not, not so much.

Let's be honest......" all of us will be happy" is just never happening on this board.

We could win the national championship by 6 points and some would be upset that it wasn't by 15 with 3 turnovers and 50% from 3.

[Scoop Snoop]

Let's be honest......" all of us will be happy" is just never happening on this board.

We could win the national championship by 6 points and some would be upset that it wasn't by 15 with 3 turnovers and 50% from 3.

Mr. "All of us will be happy" is not now, has not been, and will never be happy. Even after the upset over UCONN we were lectured that it was an off game for a road team and he stated that he would "concede" that the team improved only if...wait for it...we held Karaban to only two points again in a rematch.       

He's a groan man and his schtick has gotten scold. He celebrated the UCONN upset with a glass of whine.   

[tower912]

Mr. "All of us will be happy" is not now, has not been, and will never be happy. Even after the upset over UCONN we were lectured that it was an off game for a road team and he stated that he would "concede" that the team improved only if...wait for it...we held Karaban to only two points again in a rematch.       

He's a groan man and his schtick has gotten scold. He celebrated the UCONN upset with a glass of whine.   

That doesn't really narrow it down.  Of whom are you speaking?