NCAA on verge of 68-team men's tournament

[cdif911]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxyPeME9TbI

That's a lot of betting. 

that was excellent and will probably happen in 20-30 years

[hwangjini_1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxyPeME9TbI

That's a lot of betting. 

now THAT was funny. tp for putting up a great video clip.

[sk7326]

I'll wait til it's confirmed to believe it, but 96 teams is a horrible idea.  68 would be ok though it would mostly just marginalize 8 tiny schools a year instead of 2. 

But with 96 you're gonna add a bunch of major schools with 6-10 conference records and mid-majors who just aren't good enough.  Plus you'd have to add a play-in weekend or something similar.  Throws off the symmetry of the whole thing.

Look at the brackets from last year's NIT, or any year's.  Would adding all of them make the tourney any better? 

Terrible idea - really having 65 teams is already bad - that  they make 2 automatic qualifiers play into the main bracket is terrible still

68 teams is OK - but only if the last four teams in get to play the last four at-large's eliminated.  They'd be much more compelling games.  I think if Howard or SE Louisiana get in, they should have the honor of facing a team that will beat their brains in (or at least most likely would)

[MBz]

I have no issue with the play in game as it allows one more at large team which has a chance of winning a game into the tournament.  Which is why I'd also have no issue expanding to 68 and making 2 teams play a play in game.  You're allowing another 3 teams from major conferences get in who deserve to be in over some of those teams that win their soft conferences.

[Greenbean]

Yuk

[Mike-Dub]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5125307

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA is on the verge of expanding the men's basketball tournament from 65 to 68 teams beginning next year and has a new, $10.8 billion TV deal that will allow it to show every game live.

The NCAA said Thursday that the Division I Men's Basketball Committee unanimously passed the proposal and it will now be reviewed by the Board of Directors on April 29.

The NCAA also said it reached a new, 14-year agreement with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. that is worth more than $10.8 billion. The deal, which runs from 2011 through 2024, will show every game live across four national networks for the first time.

The agreement also includes Internet and wireless rights to the tournament for CBS and Turner.

ESPN had also bid for rights to the tournament.

"We made an aggressive bid and believe our combination of TV distribution, digital capabilities, season-long coverage and year-round marketing would have served the interests of the NCAA and college fans very well," ESPN said in a statement. "We remain committed to our unparalleled coverage of more than 1,200 men's and women's college basketball games each season."

Beginning in 2011, first- and second-round games will be shown on four networks: CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. CBS and Turner will equally split coverage of the regional semifinals.

CBS will televise the regional finals, the Final Four (including the national title game) through 2015. Starting in 2016, CBS and Turner will split coverage of the regional finals. The Final Four and title game will alternate between CBS and Turner starting in 2016.

"This is an important day for intercollegiate athletics and the 400,000 student-athletes who compete in NCAA sports," NCAA interim president Jim Isch said in a news release. "This agreement will provide on average more than $740 million annually to our conferences and member schools to help student-athletes in 23 sports learn and compete."

Any move had hinged on the NCAA's $6 billion, 11-year television deal with CBS. The deal, signed in 1999, had a mutual opt-out until July 31.

The NCAA makes nearly 96 percent of its revenue from the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

"In this agreement, we have created a new strategic partnership that not only makes this prestigious property an ongoing core asset in our stable of major television events but a profitable one as well," Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports, said in the statement.

David Levy, president of sales, distribution and sports at Turner Broadcasting, called the agreement a "landmark deal" for his family of networks.

"We are well-positioned to monetize our investment in NCAA programming across three nationally distributed networks. With the combined linear and digital assets of these two large media companies we'll be able to maximize the exposure of the tournament, as well as provide incomparable access for viewers," he said in the statement.

CBS has broadcast the men's basketball tournament since 1982.

The men's tournament last expanded in 2001, adding one team to the 64-team field that was set in 1985, and talk of tweaking March Madness again had generated a lot of criticism from fans and bracket-fillers worried about watering down the competition.

The proposal is strictly for the men's tournament. Another NCAA committee is looking at whether to expand the women's tournament or keep it in the current format.



Like this proposal much much much more than the 96, but I still really would just like to keep it at the 65.  Also it would be kinda wierd watching a basketball on truTV lol.

[PosImpos]

What's the point in adding just 3 teams?

[Roy Hobbs]

Adding three more teams isn't a problem to me; it might even make more sense than having only one "play in" game.  This is a much, much better proposal than a tournament featuring 96 or 128 teams.

[Roy Hobbs]

What's the point in adding just 3 teams?

It allows them to add three more big conference teams, while still keeping the integrity of the tournament the same.  I think it's a good solution.

[Mike-Dub]

What's the point in adding just 3 teams?

It allows them to add three more big conference teams, while still keeping the integrity of the tournament the same.  I think it's a good solution.

And with the new format I believe that it will be all at large teams in the playin game which I find much better than a small low major team that won there conference and then have to play in a playin game when I feel they have the right to be facing a 1 seed and not another 16 just to get in the actual tournament.

[guava_wrench]

What's the point in adding just 3 teams?

Does anybody actually watch the single play-in game? Why add 3 more games that no one cares about?

[MBz]

What's the point in adding just 3 teams?

Does anybody actually watch the single play-in game? Why add 3 more games that no one cares about?

It ends up strengthening the field.  It allows you to add another 3 at large teams that are better then some of the conference winners.  It also gives a better chance for more upsets as you're going to have stronger teams in the 14-15 slots while those teams are playing in the play in game.

[Redz]

much better idea than 96

[fairweatherfan]

Best news I've heard all day, since a few weeks ago they were saying 96 was a done deal.  What a relief.

68 isn't great and mostly just serves to push small school further out the door, but it's a lot better than a 96 team crapfest.  The big effect this has now is that the 2-4 seeds will be facing tougher squads, because the extra 3 at larges will probably be in the 11-13 seed range, pushing everyone else down a notch.  We'll be seeing a lot more 14 and 15 seeds win from here on out.