MattFancy Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 To 68 Teams! http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/22/AR2010042203235.html?hpid=topnews INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA plans to expand the men's basketball tournament from 65 to 68 teams beginning next year and announced a new, $10.8 billion broadcasting deal with CBS and Turner Broadcasting on Thursday that will allow every game to be shown live for the first time. "This is an important day for intercollegiate athletics and the 400,000 student-athletes who compete in NCAA sports," interim NCAA president Jim Isch said. "This agreement will provide on average more than $740 million annually to our conferences and member schools." The men's tournament last expanded in 2001, adding one team to the 64-team field that was set in 1985. Talk of tweaking March Madness again generated a lot of chatter from fans worried about watering down the competition and those fearing the additional bracket guesswork involved in predicting a winner. Well this isn't the expansion everyone thought it would be. I support going to 68 teams. Now you can have a play-in game for each region. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpyaks3 Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 When I read the title I was worried but this is actually a pretty good idea. This is all the expansion the tourney needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeysc23 Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 eh didn't watch it with 64 teams I don't think 68 will get me to follow college basketball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjah Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 I'm good with that, as it's almost no change at all. A few more bubble teams get in, which is fine and doesn't really matter (except to them!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 That's OK. Just don't go to 96. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted April 22, 2010 Author Share Posted April 22, 2010 I also like that all the games will be on TV now too. So you don't get stuck just watching one game at a time. They'll be on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. truTV doesn't fit but its owned by Turner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACW Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 If the four games are between bubble teams, this is full of win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predicto Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Works for me. The 96 idea was horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubble Screen Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 eh didn't watch it with 64 teams I don't think 68 will get me to follow college basketball. Something is wrong with you, bro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixcuincle Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Not as drastic as Feinstein had said, but it's not that bad. The 96 team field would have inserted so many bubble teams it's hilarious. Now a few more spots are open for teams such as VT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubble Screen Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Yeah, I love that they only went to 68 teams. I thought they were out of their mind when they were considering 96. And like someone said, I hope they have a play-in game for each region. That'd be pretty cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixcuincle Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 I also like that all the games will be on TV now too. So you don't get stuck just watching one game at a time. They'll be on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. truTV doesn't fit but its owned by Turner. This isn't good because there is no cable here. All the games were fine on CBS. If you can't watch them CBS will switch you over if it's getting good, or you can watch online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted April 22, 2010 Author Share Posted April 22, 2010 This isn't good because there is no cable here. All the games were fine on CBS. If you can't watch them CBS will switch you over if it's getting good, or you can watch online. I'm sure they'll still be available to watch online through CBSSports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixcuincle Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Not everyone has cable either, in a few years they will switch Final Four coverage between Turner networks and CBS. Why not just keep them all on CBS? Sometimes the lack of cable is just agitating. So much crap on cable but 2 or 3 events warrant throwing down 50 or more dollars a month. What a rip-off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeysc23 Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Something is wrong with you, bro. I usually try to catch the finals of college basketball as I like all sports. But the final 2 mins of a basketball game are the worst thing in the world to watch as they take about 15-20 mins easily. Maybe it's because my college team, JMU, never had an elite squad so I never followed but it just lacks entertainment and there is plenty of good hockey on in March. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjTj Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 To 68 Teams!http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/22/AR2010042203235.html?hpid=topnews Great use of thread title and first line. :thumbsup:I always thought it was weird to have one play-in instead of four, so this makes perfect sense. I would like a rule that these last eight teams could not be automatic qualifiers - it should just be between bubble teams. Even those bad teams who happen to win their conference tourney should be rewarded with at least 15-seeds. Further expansion could come out of these play-in games - like a mini-tournament for the last four spots - rather than expanding the whole bracket. I like the idea of a battle between the bubble teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCranon21 Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 I can live with 68 teams. 96 was too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spjunkies Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 The 96 rumor scared me to death. This is acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braxford Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Way better than 96 team expansion that was being tossed about. A play in game for each region is good and even better every game is on TV. No more getting into a game then switching coverage to a game you could care less about just because of your geographical region. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted April 22, 2010 Author Share Posted April 22, 2010 Great use of thread title and first line. :thumbsup:I always thought it was weird to have one play-in instead of four, so this makes perfect sense. I would like a rule that these last eight teams could not be automatic qualifiers - it should just be between bubble teams. Even those bad teams who happen to win their conference tourney should be rewarded with at least 15-seeds. Further expansion could come out of these play-in games - like a mini-tournament for the last four spots - rather than expanding the whole bracket. I like the idea of a battle between the bubble teams. I'm glad someone liked it! Had to get people to click on it lol. But I do like the idea of 4 play-in games. I really hope they use it with the last 4 teams in, then people would actually watch the play-in games. I don't think anyone could complain about just expanding to 68. Good move by the NCAA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EersSkins05 Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 WHEW! This is muuuuuuuuuuch prefered to the fun-killing 96 team proposal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallMeGreen Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 I always hated the 65-team approach. An extra guaranteed conference bid was needed, so rather than reduce the at-large bids by one, they added one to the overall tournament. Dumb. Never liked the idea only one of the four brackets had a play-in, let all four have one. Symmetry is not over-rated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 I was so relieved when this news came out. It's great. Living down here I get to see most of the MD games but with the Carolina schools being the obvious market, I could have missed some if they played at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted July 13, 2010 Author Share Posted July 13, 2010 http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5374116 The final four at-large teams and final four automatic qualifiers in the newly minted 68-team NCAA men's basketball tournament field will meet for the right to enter the traditional 64-team draw, tournament selection committee chairman Dan Guerrero announced Monday. The "First Four" will be played either the Tuesday or Wednesday after Selection Sunday. The winners of the four games will advance to what will now be called the "second round" on either Thursday or Friday. The newly named third round -- with 16 games -- will be Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the tournament -- regional semifinals (Sweet 16) and regional finals (Elite Eight) -- will remain as they have been, as will the Final Four, which is set for Houston in 2011. The games will be televised on TruTv (formerly CourtTV), which is available in 93 million homes, said NCAA vice president Greg Shaheen, who manages the NCAA tournament. CBS, Turner, TBS and TruTV are in their first year of a $10.8 billion, 14-year television agreement. ESPN had carried the tournament's opening-round game in previous years. Seems like a good move. The last 4 AQs against the last 4 in. I can live with that. I think its weird the games will be on TruTV though. Hopefully most people get that channel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjcdaman Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5374116Seems like a good move. The last 4 AQs against the last 4 in. I can live with that. I think its weird the games will be on TruTV though. Hopefully most people get that channel. I like the idea, as well. But, sorry...The first Thursday and Friday games will not be called the "Second Round". They might want it that way, but it ain't happening. Those two days are the opening days of the tournament! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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