Why increasing the NCAA Event may spoil March Insanity

[ad_1] Increasing the event may damage what makes it one of many best postseasons in all of sports activities.

Mid-major convention event champions may probably be additional marginalized to make room for mediocre main convention packages. As a substitute of champions from smaller conferences routinely being within the 64-team discipline, they may be relegated to the First Eight/Ten on a Tuesday or Wednesday, when fewer eyes are on the event.

When the sector expanded to 68, the NCAA put 4 mid-major champions within the First 4 in two 16-seed versus 16-seed video games.

Baker's feedback on Thursday definitely do not bode effectively for basketball conferences outdoors the ACC, Massive 12, Massive East, Massive Ten and SEC.

"When you've got a event that is bought 68 groups in it, you are going to have a bunch of groups which might be amongst what most individuals would contemplate ... the very best 68 or 70 groups within the nation that are not going to make the event, interval, since you bought an entire bunch of people that win their convention tournaments who aren't in that group."

If the event expands, it should not come on the expense of groups who earned their bid by successful a convention event.

We would be a bit extra receptive to a transfer to 72 or 76 groups if these groups vying for at-large berths had been those enjoying within the First Eight/Ten. It will nonetheless be fully pointless.

In any case, Baker's logic is foolish. Do we actually want to change the event so faculty basketball's 68th and 69th finest groups could make the sector? Critically?

It is absurd.

Groups on the reduce line are there for a cause. All have flaws and justifications for being excluded. Final yr, for instance, the final 4 groups out of the sector had been West Virginia (19-13, 10-10 in Massive 12), Indiana (19-13, 10-10 in Massive Ten), Ohio State (17-15, 9/11 in Massive Ten) and Boise State (26-11, 14-6 in Mountain West). Nobody misplaced sleep over them being overlooked of the sector.

Watching mid-majors topple packages with extra sources is a part of the NCAA Event's attraction. We'll probably see much less of these if the sector expands. As a substitute, we're extra prone to get video games with groups who had been afterthoughts of their conferences. How enjoyable.