Tournament Expanding to 76 Teams

[Farley36]

Marquette still won't make it in.

[The Sultan]

There's way more to life than money.  This is so stupid. 

You're not required to watch.

[Uncle Rico]

It's an improvement over 64 or the current 68. 80 would be better.

https://youtu.be/cxyPeME9TbI?si=j-_Dqw89kH0YsfUh

Getting to 80 would be helpful getting another 2-3 Big Ten and SEC teams in.  Pretty ridiculous Indiana and USC were left out last year

[Jay Bee]

More women's tourney games that end with a 40+ point differential -- awesome!

[muwarrior69]

It's an improvement over 64 or the current 68. 80 would be better.

Agree, each pod would get 2 "first four" games. 

[cheebs09]

The Crown is screwed

That explains King Charles' trip to the US.

[Scoop Snoop]

https://youtu.be/cxyPeME9TbI?si=j-_Dqw89kH0YsfUh

Getting to 80 would be helpful getting another 2-3 Big Ten and SEC teams in.  Pretty ridiculous Indiana and USC were left out last year

This is where I am on the expansion. I get the scoopers who dislike the additional games, but the structure of the existing format left out some worthy teams. The only thing I want to add is that some good BE teams often have been left out as well, not just the Big and SEC.

[Uncle Rico]

This is where I am on the expansion. I get the scoopers who dislike the additional games, but the structure of the existing format left out some worthy teams. The only thing I want to add is that some good BE teams often have been left out as well, not just the Big and SEC.

No good teams have ever been left out from any of the big boy conferences.  They simply weren't good enough.

They'll be some polish applied to this turd about expanded opportunities and financial reward but the games and teams themselves?  Come on. 

But that's the American mindset with playoffs of any kind.  Expand, expand, expand.  There are a variety of reasons from financial, creating more storylines, keeping more teams alive but the product becomes diluted.

Will there be great moments?  Undoubtedly, but the drive to expand playoffs across all leagues is really making regular seasons, divisions and conferences irrelevant. 

[Scoop Snoop]

No good teams have ever been left out from any of the big boy conferences.  They simply weren't good enough.

Fair, but I was thinking of the teams from what Bill Walton once called "Truckstop conferences" that fill up the 68 team limit by simply winning their conference championships, leaving no room for better teams from the P5.

[Uncle Rico]

Fair, but I was thinking of the teams from what Bill Walton once called "Truckstop conferences" that fill up the 68 team limit by simply winning their conference championships, leaving no room for better teams from the P5.

The truck stop conferences built the modern tournament along with TV.  And gambling, sweet, sweet gambling

[The Sultan]

The truck stop conferences built the modern tournament along with TV.

TV? yes.

Truck stop conferences? Eh. I think their role has been much exaggerated. I think what makes the tournament is compelling games, particularly those that come down to an improbable ending.

1992 is remembered for Duke v. Kentucky with the last second Laetner shot. Not Eastern Tennessee beating Arizona.

2026 will be remember for UConn's last second heave. Not High Point beating Wisconsin.

[Jay Bee]

2026 will be remember for UConn's last second heave. Not High Point beating Wisconsin.

Speak for yourself, bub. Eff becky.

(p.s., *remembered)

[Uncle Rico]

TV? yes.

Truck stop conferences? Eh. I think their role has been much exaggerated. I think what makes the tournament is compelling games, particularly those that come down to an improbable ending.

1992 is remembered for Duke v. Kentucky with the last second Laetner shot. Not Eastern Tennessee beating Arizona.

2026 will be remember for UConn's last second heave. Not High Point beating Wisconsin.

I'm not going to argue that, but people like watching the first two days to see the truck stop conference teams beat the big boys

[MU82]

Now that the tournament will include 76 teams, coaches and supporters of the 77th team will whine that they've been hosed. If Auburn is #77, Bruce Pearl again will cry that his nepo-baby's team got hosed.

If it expands to 80, coaches and supporters of the 81st team will whine that they've been hosed.

Maybe win another game or three and you won't get hosed. I know. A crazy notion.

Or just expand it again and again. I'm cynical but I'm really not upset about the expansion. It doesn't affect me at all. I'll continue to watch the games I want to watch and ignore the games I want to ignore, regardless of how many teams are invited. Who knows? It could even help my alma mater's team. Besides, there's nothing more American than a money grab!

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

76 spots for 365 teams is just under 21%. Is there another major sport where an even smaller % of the overall field makes the playoff?

[CTWarrior]

This is where I am on the expansion. I get the scoopers who dislike the additional games, but the structure of the existing format left out some worthy teams. The only thing I want to add is that some good BE teams often have been left out as well, not just the Big and SEC.

NO worthy teams were left out.  Many unworthy teams were included.  By worthy I mean a team, through its play, that earned the right to play for the national championship.

[Badgerhater]

76 spots for 365 teams is just under 21%. Is there another major sport where an even smaller % of the overall field makes the playoff?

The 79 percent have an opportunity to win their conference tournament for an NCAA bid.

For all intents and purposes, conference tournaments are the opening rounds of the NCAA.

[CTWarrior]

The 79 percent have an opportunity to win their conference tournament for an NCAA bid.

For all intents and purposes, conference tournaments are the opening rounds of the NCAA.

Exactly, the number is more like 98 or 99% than 21%.  Except for four teams in the Ivy League and a few teams that just joined D 1 or are independent, all of the NCAA D-1 teams make the "playoffs".

[Badgerhater]

I will become more adamant that my arbitrary "no at-large teams with under .500 conference record in the NCAA" get implemented for an expanded tournament.

Can't win half your conference games?  Do NIL and all of basketball better.

"But 8-10 power conference team is better than mid-major team X because stat geeks said so."

Don't care.  The power team gets major resources and still sucks at their level of peer competitiveness.

[Uncle Rico]

76 spots for 365 teams is just under 21%. Is there another major sport where an even smaller % of the overall field makes the playoff?

/wanking motion

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

The 79 percent have an opportunity to win their conference tournament for an NCAA bid.

For all intents and purposes, conference tournaments are the opening rounds of the NCAA.

I guess that's not an unreasonable way to look at it.

I will become more adamant that my arbitrary "no at-large teams with under .500 conference record in the NCAA" get implemented for an expanded tournament.

Can't win half your conference games?  Do NIL and all of basketball better.

"But 8-10 power conference team is better than mid-major team X because stat geeks said so."

Don't care.  The power team gets major resources and still sucks at their level of peer competitiveness.

I don't hate your arbitrary rule, but it makes me think about extreme cases. Imagine a Big East season that finished:

UConn: 20-0
All 10 other teams: 9-11

Big East getting the same number of bids as the SWAC.

[wadesworld]

76 spots for 365 teams is just under 21%. Is there another major sport where an even smaller % of the overall field makes the playoff?

This is why they should be lowering the number of division 1 schools, not increasing the size of tournaments.

[Galway Eagle]

This is why they should be lowering the number of division 1 schools, not increasing the size of tournaments.

This, it's getting time to do an FBS FCS style split for D1 Basketball.

[The Sultan]

I will become more adamant that my arbitrary "no at-large teams with under .500 conference record in the NCAA" get implemented for an expanded tournament.

Can't win half your conference games?  Do NIL and all of basketball better.

"But 8-10 power conference team is better than mid-major team X because stat geeks said so."

Don't care.  The power team gets major resources and still sucks at their level of peer competitiveness.

"Peer competitiveness" should never be a factor in these discussions.

[Badgerhater]

I guess that's not an unreasonable way to look at it.

I don't hate your arbitrary rule, but it makes me think about extreme cases. Imagine a Big East season that finished:

UConn: 20-0
All 10 other teams: 9-11

Big East getting the same number of bids as the SWAC.

10 teams each had eleven chances to win two more games.  Don't suck at basketball if you want to make the tournament.