🏀 Nobody wants this. So, it must be done! NCAA officially expanding the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments to 76 teams...

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

 

[Secondand26]

Fits in with the $$$ at all costs mentality (along with let EVERYONE participate- no need for excellence)

 

[OldPlayer]

There are a lot of coaches whose contract give them a bonus for making the tournament. These coaches just got a raise. The NIT just went down a notch (but several coaches will now get a bonus for making a postseason tournament).

 

[rammerjammer]

Again.....the NCAA proves why it is an antiquated, out of touch organization. The SEC and BIG10 can not pull out of this crap soon enough.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

So, twelve play-in games involving 24 teams, with the remaining 52 teams starting traditional play on Thursday/Friday.

 

[alabama mike]

This is just wrong, reward mediocrity. I do not like it at all.

 

[rammerjammer]

This is just wrong, reward mediocrity. I do not like it at all.

Kind of like the lemedy million bowl games that now reward a team with a record of 5-6 to go play in "The Potato Bowl" in Boise, Idaho on a blue field in December.

 

[footballer]

Wont watch.

 

[Bammerboy321]

Fixing something that isn't broke. All for money.

Just like the implementation of the CFB playoffs, each step has been another step of losing the uniqueness of the college sports landscape.

 

[Bammerboy321]

Wont watch.

I'll always watch more basketball but I am not in favor of this at all.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Kind of like the lemedy million bowl games that now reward a team with a record of 5-6 to go play in "The Potato Bowl" in Boise, Idaho on a blue field in December.

All bowls really.

Designed to reward teams for excellence

Just a filler for December weekends.
Meaningless.

 

[252BAMA]

So, twelve play-in games involving 24 teams, with the remaining 52 teams starting traditional play on Thursday/Friday.

I would think 6 play-in games involving the additional 12 teams, getting down to the 64, with the top 6 seeds meeting the play-in winners. Of course that would be too simple. They will have some BS whereby the additional 12 are not just the 16, 17 and 18 seeds.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I would think 6 play-in games involving the additional 12 teams, getting down to the 64, with the top 6 seeds meeting the play-in winners. Of course that would be too simple. They will have some BS whereby the additional 12 are not just the 16, 17 and 18 seeds.

I don't think they have time for two steps of play-ins, just a single early/midweek game and have all of those winners play on the first Friday. Without extending the length of the tournament, they could enlarge the field even more, as long as they have 64 by Thursday. If they give the play-ins the extra day to only play on Friday, that would max out the potential to 80, I think. 16 first round games each on Thursday and Friday, so have 16 play-in games (32 participants) to occupy the Friday slate.

If my thinking is right, then this extra four team move is just a step toward 76, then 80.

 

[252BAMA]

I don't think they have time for two steps of play-ins, just a single early/midweek game and have all of those winners play on the first Friday. Without extending the length of the tournament, they could enlarge the field even more, as long as they have 64 by Thursday. If they give the play-ins the extra day to only play on Friday, that would max out the potential to 80, I think. 16 first round games each on Thursday and Friday, so have 16 play-in games (32 participants) to occupy the Friday slate.

If my thinking is right, then this extra four team move is just a step toward 76, then 80.

Actually they could double the field to 128 without extending the length of the tournament with 16 play-in games on Monday with the winners playing on Thursday. And 16 play-in games on Tuesday with the winners playing on Friday.

 

[OldPlayer]

Actually they could double the field to 128 without extending the length of the tournament with 16 play-in games on Monday with the winners playing on Thursday. And 16 play-in games on Tuesday with the winners playing on Friday.

If 32 teams play in 16 play-in games on Monday, and another 32 teams play in 16 games on Tuesday, who do the 32 winners play in the next round? How does this not extend the tournament?

 

[It Takes Eleven]

If 32 teams play in 16 play-in games on Monday, and another 32 teams play in 16 games on Tuesday, who do the 32 winners play in the next round? How does this not extend the tournament?

Yeah, you probably just want the play-ins competing on the Friday slate. As I mentioned, the format I anticipate can accommodate another eight teams before it gets squirrelly.

 

[alabama mike]

This is not going to help the little guy with a 2-3 loss team but I’m sure the SEC gets another 14-17 team into the dance and the coach gets a bonus and maybe an extension. When is enough teams being added enough? I remember the tournament at 32, then 48, then 64 and moved to 65 and finally to 68. Heck, just let everyone in and the higher seeded teams play home games until the round of 32.