TAS Bracketology 2009

[TheAsianSensation]

Yea... it's gonna be a crappy tourney. I will likely not watch after the first couple rounds. Same for the NIT... I think it will get a lot of Auto-Qualifiers and a bunch of BCS schools (along with a couple Mid-Majors getting 5 and 6 seeds).

The NIT committee could destroy that field.

Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Kentucky are 3 of the 1 seeds already. Michigan probably the 4th. Then Florida, Arizona, Providence and Virginia Tech on the 2 line?

Watch Illinois St not make it.

[MacabreMob]

The NIT committee could destroy that field.

Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Kentucky are 3 of the 1 seeds already. Michigan probably the 4th. Then Florida, Arizona, Providence and Virginia Tech on the 2 line?

Watch Illinois St not make it.

I think ISU makes the field but they won't like their seed. They'll have to be on the road.

[TheAsianSensation]

I think ISU makes the field but they won't like their seed. They'll have to be on the road.

There's no question they're a road team. With all the BCS teams in play this year.

[MacabreMob]

There's no question they're a road team. With all the BCS teams in play this year.

Yea, so question is... will they take the road game as a 5 or 6 seed or opt into another tourney with a couple games at home?

[MacabreMob]

The NIT committee could destroy that field.

Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Kentucky are 3 of the 1 seeds already. Michigan probably the 4th. Then Florida, Arizona, Providence and Virginia Tech on the 2 line?

Watch Illinois St not make it.

Btw TAS, where do you have UAB right now? In the NCAA? Not a top 2 seed in NIT - so worse?

[TheAsianSensation]

Btw TAS, where do you have UAB right now? In the NCAA? Not a top 2 seed in NIT - so worse?

UAB feels like they're destined for that 4/5 NIT game.

[Bravesfan]

Yea, so question is... will they take the road game as a 5 or 6 seed or opt into another tourney with a couple games at home?

I know this has been asked before, but it still is a little difficult to answer. The NIT represents the top teams that just missed the NCAA, but a CBI, CIT or whatever else gives a team a better shot at making a longer postseason run, though without as much prestige as the NIT (if there is such a thing).

However, with the way things are turning out in the NIT with a bunch of retired ex-basketball coaches and pundits picking the BCS teams in favor of the mid-majors, perhaps the CBI or CIT is the way to go in that it gives mid-majors with strong fan bases a legitimate shot at winning a postseason tournament. And with the quality of teams that participated in the inaugural CBI last year, these newer tournaments may gain a foothold. And even if it means paying money to get some home games, so be it.

I'm still a bit skeptical how the CIT will turn out in that some of these same players involved in the NIT are supposed to be in charge of the CIT as well. However, they supposedly will emphasis mid-majors in that tournament. I think the jury will be out until the bracket comes out. Either way though, the CBI and the CIT are probably the first step towards the "segregation" of D1 basketball into two divisions, but hopefully the Valley would be good enough to stay in the "BCS" division if a separation ever took place.

[TheAsianSensation]

The Valley will never be on the good side of any D-1 split. We'll be in the lower part of the split.

[Bravesfan]

The Valley will never be on the good side of any D-1 split. We'll be in the lower part of the split.

Well, there would, I would think be a few non-BCS conferences and/or teams that would be allocated to the "good" side of the split. I would think the Valley would at least be considered.

Then again, the powers that be might not care. Hopefully it won't come down to that though.

[TheAsianSensation]

Well, there would, I would think be a few non-BCS conferences and/or teams that would be allocated to the "good" side of the split. I would think the Valley would at least be considered.

Then again, the powers that be might not care. Hopefully it won't come down to that though.

The powers that care, care about money.

A split isn't happening because they want to only play "good teams". A split will happen because they don't want to share the big money with the small schools.

No matter how good the Valley is, we're a league in smaller-market cities, and we'll never have the revenue pull of a current BCS league. Therefore, we are separated into the lower portion because of our revenue. It'll have nothing to do with how good the conference is.


The non BCS conferences that would make the jump to the top level would be the biggest moneymakers - A-10, MWC. Maybe WAC. Maybe CUSA. That's it.

[Bravesfan]

The powers that care, care about money.

A split isn't happening because they want to only play "good teams". A split will happen because they don't want to share the big money with the small schools.

No matter how good the Valley is, we're a league in smaller-market cities, and we'll never have the revenue pull of a current BCS league. Therefore, we are separated into the lower portion because of our revenue. It'll have nothing to do with how good the conference is.


The non BCS conferences that would make the jump to the top level would be the biggest moneymakers - A-10, MWC. Maybe WAC. Maybe CUSA. That's it.

Well that's a shame, but you are probably right. They might "pick and choose" a couple of other teams like Gonzaga and maybe a George Mason, Davidson and even a Creighton, but the rest of us would be SOL.

[TheAsianSensation]

Well that's a shame, but you are probably right. They might "pick and choose" a couple of other teams like Gonzaga and maybe a George Mason, Davidson and even a Creighton, but the rest of us would be SOL.

They wouldn't even pick Creighton. Gonzaga would be the only one out of that list.

Basically, cinderallas aren't allowed to exist in their world. Fun times we live in.

[Bravesfan]

They wouldn't even pick Creighton. Gonzaga would be the only one out of that list.

Basically, cinderallas aren't allowed to exist in their world. Fun times we live in.

They certainly are "fun" times. What I don't get though is that cinderallas make the tournament plenty of money, even in "their" world! Why would they even think of messing up a good thing?

I guess they have the same people running the NCAA that are running our government. That's the only answer to my own question that I can come up with!

[TheAsianSensation]

They certainly are "fun" times. What I don't get though is that cinderallas make the tournament plenty of money, even in "their" world! Why would they even think of messing up a good thing?

I guess they have the same people running the NCAA that are running our government. That's the only answer to my own question that I can come up with!

For each game a team plays in the NCAA tournament, they get a "share" (or some similar term used to represent it). Basically, the more games you play, the more money your team and league makes.

More bids for more teams and leagues means less and less overall money for each league, as the shares split more and more.

BCS thinking is that if you get rid of all the mid majors, you're down to teams from 6 conferences (instead of 31) that share the revenue.

The money BCS people save by only sharing between the Big 6 compensates for any potential difference in revenue by having a few people not watch because there aren't cinderallas. The casual fan would still tune in.


So, in their world, getting rid of mid majors makes them more money. And ruins the sport. But they get more money. That's what matters.

[Bravesfan]

For each game a team plays in the NCAA tournament, they get a "share" (or some similar term used to represent it). Basically, the more games you play, the more money your team and league makes.

More bids for more teams and leagues means less and less overall money for each league, as the shares split more and more.

BCS thinking is that if you get rid of all the mid majors, you're down to teams from 6 conferences (instead of 31) that share the revenue.

The money BCS people save by only sharing between the Big 6 compensates for any potential difference in revenue by having a few people not watch because there aren't cinderallas. The casual fan would still tune in.


So, in their world, getting rid of mid majors makes them more money. And ruins the sport. But they get more money. That's what matters.

Yeah, well nothing new here. Kind of sounds like the radio and tv industries as well. Reality tv and 800 "morning zoo" shows make the most money, so that's what you get.

Seeing Duke, North Carolina and U Conn in the tourney will be extremely boring, but that will draw the most money as well. But I'll follow mid-major basketball first and foremost if that happens!