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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I am just glad that there is no more regional coverage with TBS, TNT and TruTv broadcasting every game.

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

No problem with this. A few more games is always nice.

this is outstanding news, anything to keep it from going to 96.

Good, this will allow for more Big East teams to lose in the tournament. Best conference my ass.

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.

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

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

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.

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)