Expanding the NCAA Basketball Tourney

[WayAbvPar]

The coaches are for it because making the tournament makes boosters and ADs happy. They haven't considered the flip side, however. Can you imagine how fast a coach at a 'basketball school' would be run out of town if he missed a 128 team field even ONCE?

[Pudge714]

[ QUOTE ]
Terrible idea. The NCAA tournament is great, expanding it to 128 teams would just further dilute the regular season, which if you're not on the bubble is pretty much meaningless as it is. I also agree with removing the playin game, it's not fair to the team that loses, always a conference winner, to get bumped on a Tuesday night on ESPN2 when no one is watching, instead of having a chance to be that team like Albany that puts a scare into a top seed, maybe even winning the first 16-1 game ever.

[/ QUOTE ]

What do you think of making the playin game between the two worst at large bids?

[Quicksilvre]

I really like the format now--I think just the right number of teasm get in to have the right proportions of favorites to underdogs. I wouldn't be upset if they expanded to 72 or 80, but 128 is far too many.

[Dudd]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Terrible idea. The NCAA tournament is great, expanding it to 128 teams would just further dilute the regular season, which if you're not on the bubble is pretty much meaningless as it is. I also agree with removing the playin game, it's not fair to the team that loses, always a conference winner, to get bumped on a Tuesday night on ESPN2 when no one is watching, instead of having a chance to be that team like Albany that puts a scare into a top seed, maybe even winning the first 16-1 game ever.

[/ QUOTE ]

What do you think of making the playin game between the two worst at large bids?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd prefer no play in game, but yeah, I'd rather see two mediocre at large teams play rather than teams that earned their way in through a conference tournament.

[Bulldog]

Let them all in. You think that Thursday and Friday with 16 games each are fun, well, the previous Th/F with 64 games each would be even better.

[antidan444]

Dear NCAA,

Please leave March Madness alone.

Sincerely,
Someone you don't give a damn about

[Schwartzy61]

Didn't it used to be 32? I wonder what kind of discussions they had when they changed it. Probably the same one that's going on right now when discussing 128 teams...

[antidan444]

It went for 32 to 48 to 64 if I recall correctly.

[gusmahler]

[ QUOTE ]
It went for 32 to 48 to 64 if I recall correctly.

[/ QUOTE ]

According to wikipedia:

[ QUOTE ]

1939-1950: eight teams
1951-1952: 16 teams
1953-1974: 24 teams (sometimes 22-25 teams)
1975-1978: 32 teams
1979: 40 teams
1980-1982: 48 teams
1983: 52 teams (four play-in games before the tournament)
1984: 53 teams
1985-2000: 64 teams (in 1991 three play-in games before the tournament)
2001-Present: 65 teams (with a Play-In Game to determine whether the 64th or 65th team plays in the first round)


[/ QUOTE ]

[antidan444]

Did I mention my memory is horrible? Kay thanks buh-bye.