96-team NCAA March Madness is "Done Deal"

[OUHoops]

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/source-march-madness-with-96-teams-done-deal-27742

Sources: 96-Team March Madness Is “Done Deal”
Posted by Brooks on Feb. 01, 2010, 1:29pm

Sources at ESPN and inside the administration at a powerhouse NCAA basketball school told me today that the NCAA basketball tournament going to 96 teams is a “done deal.”

An ESPN source said, “It’s a done deal with the expansion of the tournament. Depending on how soon a (TV) deal is done, the added teams could start next year. The NCAA confirmed that bidders would be interested in 96 teams, so they’re going with it.”

Another ESPN source confirmed to me that the network was in the formative stages of pondering a bid for the expanded tournament.

John Ourand and Michael Smith of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL reported this morning that if the NCAA opts out of its current broadcast rights deal with CBS, the governing body will consider, “expanding from a 65-team tournament to either 68 or 96 teams.”

The NCAA-CBS broadcast rights contract has three years and $2.131 billion remaining. SBJ reports, “the NCAA has until Aug. 31 to exercise its right, though it hopes to conclude the process much earlier.”

A 68-team field would add three games to the current 65-team format, and a 96-team field would add 31 games to the tourney.

SBJ also notes that ESPN, Fox and a Turner-CBS collaboration may vie for broadcast rights of the tournament.

The broadcasters are basing their bids on an expanded tournament field, according to a request for proposal issued by the NCAA to potential bidders late last year.

The NCAA reportedly wants a new, 14-year deal with its network partner(s) with an early opt-out only available to the NCAA. (Overplaying its cards?)

As my sources indicate, the NCAA is already dead-set on expanding to a 96-team hoops tournament, so what affect will that have on interest in March Madness and the regular season?

I’m one of those guys who lightly follows the regular season but loves the postseason tournament. Going to 96 teams will render the regular season even more meaningless and I’m not so sure that March Madness will be as fervently embraced with the dilution of the field and added number of games. Like my bracket isn’t big enough already?

If they’re going to go to 96 teams, why not just make the whole season a double elimination tournament?

And if the NCAA is going to drag out the hoops tournament even more, causing players to miss more class, how can it continue to justify not having a college football playoff?

Someone needs to check the water in Indianapolis. Might wanna consider a boil warning.

 

[SoonerfanTU]

I hate it. This is the equivalent of handing out "participation" trophies in grade school.

Making the postseason, or making the Dance won't mean near as much going forward. Maybe I should be happy about this, given our current state of affairs.

 

[BigTime]

Somewhere, the CBI is crying.

I agree, TU.

 

[trueou]

The big difference is that the NCAA controls most of the money for televising of the NCAA basketball tournament. Football revenue is controlled by the conferences and schools. That is my understanding.

 

[HoHum]

I'll have to see how the brackets will be set up.

But 99.9% chance I'm going to hate it.

 

[Sooner23]

I'm all about it this and think they should start it this year. I'd love to see us dancing as the 85th seed. :woot

 

[seniorsooner]

Total crap.

 

[Tony]

I have no opinion on this.

 

[thebigabd]

I love it.

 

[stanley11]

And now what? Let in every BCS conference school with a 7-9 or 6-10 conference record? That is probably what will happen, though it would be better to let in the regular season conference champions of the low and mid major conferences who don't win their conference tourneys. Sort of what the NIT is doing with the conference champions who don't get an invite. I would much rather see those schools be rewarded for winning their leagues than just more "bubble" teams.

 

[MsProudSooner]

I don't love it and I don't hate it. It's survive and advance with 96 teams instead of 64 teams.

 

[OUradu]

And now what? Let in every BCS conference school with a 7-9 or 6-10 conference record? That is probably what will happen, though it would be better to let in the regular season conference champions of the low and mid major conferences who don't win their conference tourneys. Sort of what the NIT is doing with the conference champions who don't get an invite. I would much rather see those schools be rewarded for winning their leagues than just more "bubble" teams.

But I love teh win and in atmosphere of those small conference tournies. If you give out potenitally two automatic berths from each conference (reg season and tourney winners if exclusive from one another) then I would assume you'd see reg season champs tank the conf tourney to rest for the big dance if their tourney is within a week of the tourney starting. I don't know if I like the prospect of a reg season champ bowing out to let some weaker team walk into the tourney without having to really "earn" it.

however, you would likely be seeing these weaker teams playing it out in the first round of 64 teams while the better 32 teams sit out the first round with a bye, so maybe those minor conf teams will just eliminate each other from the get go.

 

[DSMok1]

I'd say they should make both regular season and conference tournament champs auto-bids.

Basically, the top 32 teams will get a bye. We'd probably see some interesting 1st round games where the "16" seed can actually win...

I think this would actually help the NCAA tournament crown the best team, since the better teams would play a team that had just played a game in the first round--the top 32 teams would be more likely to win then than now.

 

[thebigabd]

To me, they are just combining the NIT, and those teams should be in anyways.

More good teams = better tournament. Seems pretty simple to me.

 

[playmakr]

So some teams get a bye?

 

[DSMok1]

So some teams get a bye?

Some teams would have to get a bye (96=2*2*2*2*2*3)

 

[playmakr]

Some teams would have to get a bye (96=2*2*2*2*2*3)

So I assume 32 teams would get a Bye, the Top 8 seeds in each region. (certainly they don't HAVE to do it like this) This will be strange because depending on how they set it up, the #1 seed could be playing a lower seed (worse team) than the #2 seed in a region.

 

[playmakr]

duplicate

 

[MNsooner]

I'm torn on this a little bit. On the one hand, I love watching college basketball in tournament situations especially and this gives me more of it to watch. However, I feel like it takes away from the importance of the regular season in a lot of ways. So, I don't really know how I feel about it... I am just torn.

 

[MisterF]

Heck maybe OU can get in now!!

HS have been doing this for years....I have no problem with it.