Washingtonian
Hall of Famer
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ve-college-basketballs-early-season/77948318/
The proposal
College basketball season begins after the World Series is complete, but otherwise the sports calendar couldn't be busier. At the same time the sport tips off, the best pro and college football teams are separating themselves from the pack. NBA and NHL teams are in their first month.
Even the most popular sport would have trouble carving a fan niche in that landscape, and college basketball doesn't do a great job with its array of games at overseas venues and intersectional doubleheaders.
But what if the people who stage a 68-team tournament at the end of every season staged a 16-team tournament at the beginning? What if it happened in December at a rare, relatively quiet time for college football? And what if the winner was guaranteed an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament?
The proposal
College basketball season begins after the World Series is complete, but otherwise the sports calendar couldn't be busier. At the same time the sport tips off, the best pro and college football teams are separating themselves from the pack. NBA and NHL teams are in their first month.
Even the most popular sport would have trouble carving a fan niche in that landscape, and college basketball doesn't do a great job with its array of games at overseas venues and intersectional doubleheaders.
But what if the people who stage a 68-team tournament at the end of every season staged a 16-team tournament at the beginning? What if it happened in December at a rare, relatively quiet time for college football? And what if the winner was guaranteed an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament?
