UNI victory starts up ugly anti-midmajor talk

[BradleyBrave]

I am against expansion unless it is to 68 teams, then I really don't care. Just have 4 play in games. It will never go back down though so no worry of that, way too much money involved. 96 teams water it down, makes the brackets less appealing to fill out, and makes deciding who gets a bye way too important. Most likely it would be the "mid-majors" that suffer if byes had to be decided upon.

I agree 100%. I think the 4 play-ins would add a nice little 'warm up' heading into Thursday's madness, especially if it involved bubble teams rather than the type of teams it involves now.

[Chico]

yes-- in 1960, Bradley was not only the 2nd place team in the MVC, they were arguably the 2nd best team in the country (AP & UPI both had them ranked #4),
and they were left out of the NCAA and had to play in the NIT.
Basically the same also happened in 1959 & 1960

http://www.nmnathletics.com//pdf4/21005.pdf

But back then you usually had to win your conference to make it to the NCAA, and the NIT was still considered a major tournament.

[real fan]

I think that they have pretty much made up their minds to expand to 96 teams because of the extra revenue. I do not like the idea of first round byes as I believe every team should have to play the same amount of games unless they are actually playing there way into the tour.

[Bravesfan]

You knew it was bound to happen.

--a lowly school from the Valley knocks off Kansas - everyone's favorite and it causes people to go berserk as their brackets get messed up...

Then this morning...this Yahoo Sports article using the example of the UNI win (among other upsets)...
as a talking point on why the NCAA should be expanded!

Think of it...some lowly team that they think really doesn't deserve to be in the same gym as a #1 seed...let alone the same tournament -- and UNI has the arrogance to actually beat Kansas!!

The single thing that irks these people is...
"watching double-digit seeds win this week" mess up the "productivity in offices across the country"...
Do we really need a reminder that the..."tournament already is sprinkled with weak teams"
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketb...v=ap&type=lgns

I don't think that Yahoo article was really that bad. He didn't specifically cite mid-majors, just more lower seeded teams where he could have also implied teams like Illinois and Arizona St. There are many lower ranked BCS teams that would probably have little chance to win a championship this year as well, especially in a 96 team tournament. While Digger and Dickie V. might think this year's North Carolina team should have been in the tournament, I don't think even they would give them much of a chance. So I think Tim's article was implying the same thing, both lower seeded mid-majors and majors.

However, one could interpret the article in a different way as well, and that is these lower seeded teams don't deserve to be in even if they are all capable of winning a game or two. Not many people believe UNI, St. Mary's and even Butler might go much farther, but that's why they play the games. And even a 13 seed is capable of going pretty far as Bradley did in 2006, and an 11 seeded George Mason did that same year. So on that level, yes, Tim is off base, but not as blanantly as some who show disdain even when teams "have the audacity to knock off overall number one seeds"!

[Bravesfan]

This writer actually suggests that all the upsets by midmajors mean nothing, and are just a "tease", since only once recently (George Mason in 2006) did any of them make it to the Final Four. And no team lower than an 8th seed (Rollie Massimino's Villanova in 1985) has ever won the tournament.
He uses this argument, as others have to actually suggest the tournament be shrunk to just 16 teams!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/366349-dont-buy-in-to-the-mid-major-hype-it-is-one-big-tease

but writers and people like him are deluded think that this tournament is just for him. It's not, it is for the NCAA, and it is to make money- lots of it. That's why more teams, especially the non-majors, need to be included. Just getting into the tournament and playing 1 game and going home gets more than a million dollars for a team's conference. That is why getting multiple teams into the conference is so important, because it guarantees a lot more money for that conference. And that's why just having the chance to pull an upset, like Bradley and Wichita State did in 2006, and like UNI did yesterday, are so important to the midmajor conference teams, because it increases the revenue the conference earns tremendously. Just by winning yesterday, UNI will earn at least an extra $1.5 million for the MVC, and that amount will increase by a similar amount with each win. Since the MVC splits it's share of the NCAA Tournament revenues evenly, it means Bradley will get an extra $150,000 from yesterday's UNI win. That kind of money isn't such a big deal to a school like Kansas and their $80 million athletic budget, but it means everything to schools like Bradley.
This is why midmajors fight so hard to be a part of this tournament, and why the big schools would rather not see them at this time of the year. It is the real reason behind the plan to expand to 96 teams, and have the midmajors and also-rans fight between themselves for the first round or to so most get eliminated before they get matched against the top ranked schools.
But if a school like Bradley (and every other school not in the BCS) ever has a prayer of climbing up a notch or two on the basketball ladder they need to be involved, and they need to play in and win some of these NCAA games. With the winnings, they stand a better chance of improving facilities, and recruiting better to improve. Sure, they'll never win 6 in a row to take the national championship. Nobody from Bradley expects that. Just a chance to play in the game, and get a small share of the pie.
Too bad some people like the writer above don't understand that.

Wow! What's wrong with this guy?! Unlike that Yahoo article mentioned above, this guy is truly arrogant! He's a typical BCS cheerleader who thinks it's a God-given right for the BCS teams to win it all. Well I got news for him, maybe something he forgot....

They have to earn it!

[Bravesfan]

In addition to UNI, St. Mary's is a case in point. That's a fun team (emphasize TEAM) to watch, and the tournament wouldn't be the same without them.

The Sportscenter talking point of the morning....UNI is "the first MVC champion since the Stone Age to advance to the Sweet 16." Everyone was using it -- OK, they didn't say Stone Age, but some commentators used it twice in the same minute. They ignored the accomplishments this decade of the likes of BU, Wichita, and SIU because they hadn't won the conference title. Who dragged up that stat? Whereas if we were a "power conference," they'd use it the other way to show the depth of talent in the conference.

It's part fun watching them deal with this, and part maddening.

It's more maddening for me because I am sincerely getting tired of their arrogance! Just admit these are good teams that probably won't win the national championship, but that still belong in the tournament because they earned their way there under the current guidelines that drive the selection process. They went out and played good teams, as has beens suggested by the same media hacks, and they won. And now these pundits are upset.

Well then, tell Kansas, Villanova and Georgetown to play better the next time! Then they can actually win their way to the championship.

What a novel concept!

[Bravesfan]

I am against expansion unless it is to 68 teams, then I really don't care. Just have 4 play in games. It will never go back down though so no worry of that, way too much money involved. 96 teams water it down, makes the brackets less appealing to fill out, and makes deciding who gets a bye way too important. Most likely it would be the "mid-majors" that suffer if byes had to be decided upon.

On the subject of the "mid-majors" ruining the tourny, what makes the tournament great is the little guys advancing. Why do people love filling out the brackets? Because no one knows who is going to advance, and it makes it a lot of fun to see who was right. I remember a couple years ago all number 1's made it, it was the most boring bracket and tournament ever. Everyone loves the underdogs, it is what makes the tournament great. They haven't ruined it, they have made it the great sporting event it is.

Agreeded. I'm not for putting in teams that have not earned their way into the tournament. Unlike the NFL and other pro leagues though, 64 or 65 teams are necessary due to the huge pool of existing teams. And you still have to play pretty darn well to earn a bid into this tournament. That's why the lesser tournaments don't have the following this one does, not even the NIT. That's why 96 teams would be a mistake in my opinion.

The more I think of it though, the more I like the 68 team proposal which would involve four play-in games. However, they need to involve the first four teams out and the last four teams in a traditional 64 team format. Have each "out" team play one "in" team for the right of earning a #12 seed in the main tournament. That way the first four out have no room to complain if they happen to lose this one game "playoff" to play their way into the tournament. And that would garner a huge audience on that Tuesday before the main tournament begins. And even CBS might be able to run those games assuming they still have the contract.

It's so simple, and yet may make too much sense to some people!

[SFP]

I am against the 96 team expansion as well. Technically most schools are in the running... All those schools have to do is to win their conference tournament.

I'm against the the 96 team expansion especially if they do not come up with a fair way to seed the teams. They'll just make more mid-majors play an extra game.

[Bravesfan]

I'm against the the 96 team expansion especially if they do not come up with a fair way to seed the teams. They'll just make more mid-majors play an extra game.

That's the big fear here. The Valley may routinely get two or three or occasionally four teams into the tournament under this format. But when our teams start getting seeded 15th, 19th and 22nd, the mid-major conferences are going to wish this new format never came into being!

Maybe a slight exaggeration here as there will be some high seeded non-BCS teams, but most will be seeded below mediocre .500 BCS teams every time. Just watch!

[Future Walk-On]

I agree with Doug Gottlieb about the expansion. "NO."

[houstontxbrave]

The NCAA will opt out of their contact with CBS this spring, then I expect them to announce an expansion of the NCAA tournament to 96 teams. Bottom line the NCAA(ESPN) does not care about integrity or tradition its about money.

The 96 teams simply gives more opportunity to have more BCS schools in the tourney.

I was driving yesterday and heard a local guy on Houston sports radio crying about how he wants to see upsets the first day but after that he wants nothing but BCS or in his words the name schools playing. He essentially said it is like having Boise State in the BCS, it just does not seem right.

So his logic is simple if the name is recognizable then it is important that I see them play in the latter stages of the NCAA tourney... this is a mentality of alot of National people. They do not follow the sport until maybe Feb then if they do they only will watch a few minutes of games from the BCS's and then conclude those are the best teams... because thats all they care to know about.

The uniformed is what is driving this 96 team tourney.. yes the NCAA is pushing it but it is because now the NCAA can get into the pockets of the Auburn or Oregon fan because now they have a real reason to follow. The expansion has nothing to do with Bradley or St Louis U its only about BCS.

The NCAA is so money hungry they have forgotten or ignored the fact that all D1 teams are involved in the NCAA but they really only want and care about the 70 or so school who are associated with the BCS. 96 teams and the exclusive rights to the tourney by ESPN... I say by August.

[bu fan 9]

Memphis was in the title game 2 years ago and there are a mid major.

[Braves4Life]

The NCAA is so money hungry ......

Kind of a microcosm of our economy and what got us into trouble as a nation -- greed.

[SFP]

Kind of a microcosm of our economy and what got us into trouble as a nation -- greed.

Amen ,and the problem just continues on all fronts.

[tornado]

greed?? but doesn't all this legislation promise endless freebies without ever having to do anything to earn it??
That's the greed that's killing this nation...grab now and huge giveaways and pass the costs on to the next generation..