Tournament expanding to 68 teams

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gorocks99's avatar

gorocks99

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Apr 22, 2010 12:25 PM
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2010/04/ncaa-reaches-14-year-deal-with-cbsturner/1
The NCAA men's basketball tournament is expanding, starting next season, but not on the large scale once expected. The NCAA has reached a 14-year, nearly $11 billion agreement with CBS and Turner Sports for the TV rights to a 68-team tournament -- up a modest three teams from the current 65.
Apr 22, 2010 12:25pm
gorocks99's avatar

gorocks99

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10,760 posts
Apr 22, 2010 12:32 PM
So instead of one play-in game, we'll have four -- 61 vs 68, 62 vs 67, 63 vs 66, and 64 vs 65. Not really an expansion at all, more of a chance for small conference champions to have to play their way into the tournament.
Apr 22, 2010 12:32pm
ptown_trojans_1's avatar

ptown_trojans_1

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Apr 22, 2010 12:36 PM
They are edging their way to the 96 team field.

Will these games be played on Tuesday/ Wed in Dayton as well? Will they be small conference teams that won their tournament or bubble teams that will not normally make it in? Because, I can easily see this as just another way the bigger conferences keep the smaller ones out of the deeper rounds.
Apr 22, 2010 12:36pm
ts1227's avatar

ts1227

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12,319 posts
Apr 22, 2010 12:37 PM
The 68 team was a committee recommendation passed unanimously.

Technically, the powers that be could reject it and still expand to 96, but its unlikely.
Apr 22, 2010 12:37pm
Mulva's avatar

Mulva

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13,650 posts
Apr 22, 2010 1:02 PM
I don't mind that move at all.

Will be interesting to see how they set it up. I like the final 8 at-large possibilities playing for 4 spots approach that many analysts have proposed.
Apr 22, 2010 1:02pm
Emmett Brown's avatar

Emmett Brown

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478 posts
Apr 22, 2010 1:10 PM
I am just glad that there is no more regional coverage with TBS, TNT and TruTv broadcasting every game.
Apr 22, 2010 1:10pm
V

vball10set

paying it forward

24,795 posts
Apr 22, 2010 1:19 PM
ptown_trojans_1 wrote: Will these games be played on Tuesday/ Wed in Dayton as well?
this would be great for Dayton...I sure hope they retain these play-in games
Apr 22, 2010 1:19pm
C

cbus4life

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2,849 posts
Apr 22, 2010 2:31 PM
No problem with this. A few more games is always nice.
Apr 22, 2010 2:31pm
D

dave

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4,558 posts
Apr 22, 2010 3:08 PM
this is outstanding news, anything to keep it from going to 96.
Apr 22, 2010 3:08pm
sleeper's avatar

sleeper

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Apr 22, 2010 3:30 PM
Good, this will allow for more Big East teams to lose in the tournament. Best conference my ass.
Apr 22, 2010 3:30pm
J

johngrizzly

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213 posts
Apr 22, 2010 6:15 PM
sleeper wrote: Good, this will allow for more Big East teams to lose in the tournament. Best conference my ass.
Exactly. Maybe the most overrated conference in the world. 2 decent teams and 14 would be bottom feeders in the Big 10.
Apr 22, 2010 6:15pm
M

mattinctown

Apr 22, 2010 9:39 PM
Mulva wrote: I don't mind that move at all.

Will be interesting to see how they set it up. I like the final 8 at-large possibilities playing for 4 spots approach that many analysts have proposed.
THIS
Apr 22, 2010 9:39pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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29,506 posts
Apr 25, 2010 7:02 PM
I really hope they pi the last 8 seeds and schedule them as 11/12/13 seed games (depending on the strength of the mid-majors in a given year). Weak year would mean the games could be for 11/12 seeds. Strong year could mean for 12/13 seeds
Apr 25, 2010 7:02pm
krambman's avatar

krambman

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3,606 posts
Apr 28, 2010 10:04 AM
ptown_trojans_1 wrote: They are edging their way to the 96 team field.

Will these games be played on Tuesday/ Wed in Dayton as well? Will they be small conference teams that won their tournament or bubble teams that will not normally make it in? Because, I can easily see this as just another way the bigger conferences keep the smaller ones out of the deeper rounds.
This is absolutely a way to get more of the major conference teams in the tourney. The bubble teams that miss out on the tournament don't miss out because they were team #66 in the overall ranking, but because they were the next team of the at-large pool. Meaning that the first three teams out of last year's tournament (UNC, Illinois) would have been seeded somewhere around 12 or 13 in next year's tournament. The teams playing in there opening round games will be seeds 16 and 17 in each region and will most likely be the conference tournament champions of minor conferences. There will still be the same number of conference champions, this just get's a few more at-large schools in the pool.

Don't feel too sorry for these schools that end up in the opening round games though. They get the same money as everyone else and if they win they get full credit on the books for an NCAA tournament victory.
Apr 28, 2010 10:04am
ts1227's avatar

ts1227

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12,319 posts
Apr 29, 2010 7:36 PM
ts1227 wrote: The 68 team was a committee recommendation passed unanimously.

Technically, the powers that be could reject it and still expand to 96, but its unlikely.
They voted in the 68 team setup today.

the EXACT setup will be determined later regarding how they set up the opening round games (eg. will they all decide 16 seeds, or will they make them all at-larges and float the play-ins to line up with more appropriate seeding)
Apr 29, 2010 7:36pm