Jeff Goodman at FoxSports.com reports late Monday that NCAA senior vice president Greg Shaheen denied my report earlier today that the NCAA has settled on a 96-team format for the NCAA tournament but confirmed that the organization will “investigate the possibility of expanding the NCAA tournament.”
Shaheen said that there has been continuous dialogue about the potential of going from 65 to 96 teams.
“It’s part of our due diligence,” Shaheen said. “We have to look at what our membership wants. … Have we talked to people in our membership about expanding? Absolutely.”
Goodman also noted:
The NCAA’s deal with the 32-team NIT also expires at the end of this season and, according to sources, one of the possibilities is to end the agreement and take 31 of those teams and add them to the NCAA tournament field.
While Shaheen wouldn’t comment on it, one source said that if the tournament does expand to 96, one of the potential formats would involve the identical start and end date and less travel than the NCAA and NIT tournaments combined.
Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com reports that today Kansas Coach Bill Self also indicated, “he could see it (the tournament) jumping to 72 or 96 teams.”
Kansas coach Bill Self said he doesn’t know the right formula, but he’s convinced the NCAA Tournament will eventually expand from its current 65-team bracket.
Self said he’s all for it. College basketball has become so big, he said, with so many good players and good teams, regardless of conference affiliation, that it makes sense to expand the tournament field. He said he could see it jumping to 72 or 96 teams.
“Whatever it is, if it’s 96 there’s going to be 97, 98, 99 that feel like they got left out,” Self said. “I think television will dictate so much of it. I think it’s worth discussing, but I haven’t seen anyone’s formula that would be the right forumla. Football can’t figure it out and theydeal with less teams.”
Caplan reports that Texas Tech coach Pat Knight also discussed the prospect:
“Sitting at 2-5 (in the Big 12), I’m all for it.” Yes, he laughed. In all seriousness, Knight thinks if the field is expanded, it would increase the one thing everybody loves to see in the opening rounds: “There would be a lot more upsets if they expand the field.”
And that makes TV people very, very happy.
After I posted my report earlier today and saw the almost unanimous negative reaction from fans, I asked one of my original sources if fan and media backlash could kill the move to 96 teams.
My source said, “no.”
10:50 pm on February 1st, 2010
The first two rounds rule and this would ruin it. The regular season would mean even LESS than it does now. I can see the tournament popularity decreasing with this move.
11:56 pm on February 1st, 2010
This Stinks has it right. Currently, teams jockey and play hard in the regular season to get into the tournament, especially if the conference doesn’t have conference tourney to get into the “Big Dance.” The NCAA should go back to 64 teams and eliminate the stupid play-in game, which is ridiculous.
Frankly, I wish all conferences would get rid of the conference tourney and let the regular season conference record determine automatic bids like the Ivy League still does. That would trally make every conference game count and you wouldn’t get the 11 - 15 team that goes on a three game hot streak and gets the 16 seed (and subsequently slaughtered in the opening game).
Sixty-four teams is a good number that allows a fair number of bubble teams in without saturating the quality of the field. Why does everyone want to mess up what should be an easy formula for success?
12:07 am on February 2nd, 2010
I used to watch a lot of college football, but every year I find myself watching less and less. This year I probably watched parts of 5 or 6 bowl games and a quarter of the “national championship” game. It’s a joke.
One of my favorite sporting events is the NCAA tourney. I take off the first Thursday and Friday so I can sit at the bar watching all day. If this money grubbing plan goes through I probably wont watch much of the tourney just like the bowls. Leave it to the NCAA to mess up one of the best things they have going.
12:08 am on February 2nd, 2010
If they’re going to d thisi, why not just let everyone in, get rid of the regular season, and make it one big single elimination tourney?
12:50 am on February 2nd, 2010
It’s hockey all over again. i.e. we’re just starting the “second hockey season”…..
7:18 am on February 2nd, 2010
I like it. the number of 1A teams is A LOT more than back when the tourney went to 64. Of the first 32 games 8 are typically walkovers. The teams that won their play-in game would be “prime time” worthy and I think you would actually see a 1 beat in the first round once in awhile.
It also gives lesser programs a chance to have a “win”. Many of these programs will NEVER beat a one seed, but a 24 vs a 9 game would be much more likely.
Tues Thurs Sat
Wed Fri Sun
to start the tourney wouldnt be bad.
Those who worry about the academics should recognize that for 95% of the time the bottom 64 teams will not get out of the first week, rendering their “lost time” insignificant. Once every blue moon you may get a flyer that goes to the final four, but hey, what will the kids remember, that lost week of physics or going to the national championship.
8:07 am on February 2nd, 2010
Trying to figure out the brackets would be a huge convoluted process (sort of like the playoffs explanations in the movie BASEKETBALL). The only reason they’re considering this is $$$$$$$$$, the NCAA sees more $$$$ in this that’s all!
If they go to 96 your still going to have teams that lose out on selection, only now it will be teams with sub .500 records!
Greedy Slobs if you ask me
10:14 am on February 2nd, 2010
This is nothing but a money grab plain and simple. The mid-major teams have begun to supplant the bottom dwellers of the major confrences and their 19 - 14 records. The big confrences are getting pressure from their schools to get them into the tourney so they can get their money.
This is the equivalent of everyone gets a trophy like we now have in Little League and such. You are supposed to EARN your way in not get in because you play in the Big East, Big Ten, ACC or SEC. It all jsut becomes one less thing to watch like the NHL, NBA and MLB.
11:57 am on February 2nd, 2010
Why not just let all the community colleges in as well…that way everyone has a shot….
5:02 pm on February 4th, 2010
People don’t like change. This isn’t that big of a change if you look at it as a merging of the NCAA and the NIT tournaments. 96 teams instead of 97. Big deal. And all the games count. And teams will still play hard to earn one of the 32 first round byes.
I’m all for it.