Tournament expanding to 68

[Bravesfan]

Tourney is staying on CBS for the next 6? Years. All games will be broadcast live between CBS and Turner channels.

3 more playin games. The NCAA got this one right.

Great news!

So I guess this means that the dominos will remain standing, at least for awhile.

And controlled growth of the tournament makes the most sense. This should at least alleviate the complaining from teams just on the wrong side of the bubble. Basically this allows for three additional teams that may have had a legitimate argument for not being selected for the tournament a chance to show that they belong. But at the same time it keeps teams that are not deserving out.

So while the Valley will still have trouble earning multiple bids, at least the integrity of the tournament remains intact.

[AZ BU Fan]

Assuming the extra teams in the additional play in games mean more non BCS At Large teams get a chance, great. If this just allows more mediocre BCS teams getting in and the 3-4 non BCS At Large Teams getting shoved into the additional play in games, well, **&^%$#$@#$%, or "nuts" depending on your tolerance to more colorful language..

The NCAA could be better off restructuring requirements for Div I MBB participation, and moving some of the smaller/weaker automatic bid leagues to a stronger, more organized Div II program/tourney...Could still share some of the $$ from the big boys tounament to participants in Div II, but would free up tourney space for BCS and more competitive/bigger non BCS programs in the Big Dance...without having to add more teams to the Div I Tourney.

[BUfan14]

Huge wins for the NCAA:

1. No ridiculous expansion to 96 teams...68 makes sense.
2. ALL GAMES will be broadcast live between CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV which are all available on the basic cable package on Comcast, Mediacomm DirecTV and Dish
3. No Dickie V broadcasting NCAA Tourney games
4. Gus Johnson!

Though 3 and 4 may be kidding a little, I greatly agree with 1 and 2! This is super news for me! Thank you NCAA for finally listening to fans and not your wallets!

[Bravesfan]

Assuming the extra teams in the additional play in games mean more non BCS At Large teams get a chance, great. If this just allows more mediocre BCS teams getting in and the 3-4 non BCS At Large Teams getting shoved into the additional play in games, well, **&^%$#$@#$%, or "nuts" depending on your tolerance to more colorful language..

The NCAA could be better off restructuring requirements for Div I MBB participation, and moving some of the smaller/weaker automatic bid leagues to a stronger, more organized Div II program/tourney...Could still share some of the $$ from the big boys tounament to participants in Div II, but would free up tourney space for BCS and more competitive/bigger non BCS programs in the Big Dance...without having to add more teams to the Div I Tourney.

Yes, but where do you draw the line between "smaller/weaker" automatic bids and more competitive/bigger non BCS programs? One of those "weaker" automatic bids in Murray St. won a first round game and nearly took out national runner-up Butler. Then Robert Morris, another one of those "weaker" teams nearly pulled off a 15/2 upset in the first round! Not to mention that Jackson St. beat Arizona St. on the road in the NIT.

So I say leave well enough alone. The tournament gives everyone a chance to win at least a game or two, no matter how weak the conference participant is. And while I agree that a line needs to be drawn so we don't end up with 500 Division I teams, the ones that are in already should be left in to allow them the chance to play in the NCAA Tournament, unless the NCAA is seriously considering a wholesale split in the near future. But until that day comes, I say leave things the way they are.

[PTownHawkeye]

Though 3 and 4 may be kidding a little, I greatly agree with 1 and 2! This is super news for me! Thank you NCAA for finally listening to fans and not your wallets!

I need to remember that sarcasm doesn't exactly translate into print....

[BradleyBrave]

Shocked and amazed.

[real fan]

This is a joke as no BCS teams will ever have to play in any of these play in games, never have liked the idea of 65 teams and now this.

[Future Walk-On]

This is a joke as no BCS teams will ever have to play in any of these play in games, never have liked the idea of 65 teams and now this.

would you rather have 96 teams?!

everyone should be very happy!

[Bravesfan]

This is a joke as no BCS teams will ever have to play in any of these play in games, never have liked the idea of 65 teams and now this.

We don't this for sure yet. It will take a few weeks for the NCAA to finalize this deal. And then they will decide how these four play-in games will play out (no pun intended! ).

Obviously we will either see four 16 seeds play four "17" seeds from the small conferences, or we will see the last eight teams in (last four in versus last four out if this were a 64 team tournament) play each other.

You know which one I would rather see, and I'm not talking about Prairie View A&M playing Jackson St!

[pfunk880]

This is just about perfect.

[Future Walk-On]

This is just about perfect.

perfect would be 64 teams

[Bravesfan]

perfect would be 64 teams

Well we will have 64 teams once the 8 bubble teams get done playing each other. At least that's what I hope for because if it's the 8 lowest seeded teams from the bottom 10 conferences, why even bother including them?

[shaunguth]

Well we will have 64 teams once the 8 bubble teams get done playing each other. At least that's what I hope for because if it's the 8 lowest seeded teams from the bottom 10 conferences, why even bother including them?

I see your point, but that's not the way it works now. The last two teams included in the tournament field are not the two teams in the "play-in" game. I seriously doubt that will change in the future.

[thefish7]

The four play in games will be filled with autobids from bottom feeder conferences and have no effect on the seeding of bubble tema other than to increase the number of bubble teams that make it by two or three (depending on when/if the Great West conf gets an autobid).

[BUfan14]

Well we will have 64 teams once the 8 bubble teams get done playing each other. At least that's what I hope for because if it's the 8 lowest seeded teams from the bottom 10 conferences, why even bother including them?

I don't think this could work at all. You would be giving the 1 seed a harder game in the first round than whichever seed plays these bottom conference winners in this scenario? Doesn't make sense.