NCAA Tournament to expand to 72 teams?

[Washingtonian]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...opose-expanding-ncaa-tournament-four-teams-72

The ACC plans to propose legislation to expand the NCAA tournament field from 68 to 72 teams, commissioner John Swofford said at the conclusion of the league's spring meetings in Amelia Island, Florida.

Swofford said the men's basketball coaches endorsed the proposal, citing more postseason opportunities for football teams compared to basketball teams.

"The idea of having two First Fours, if you will, maybe geographic," Swofford told reporters in Florida, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. "That's such a quick turnaround. You could have one maybe in Dayton and one in the western part of the states. But we will be proposing that."

Miami coach Jim Larranaga told ESPN that expanding the tournament field would be good for several reasons, including "unreasonable" travel for West Coast teams to Dayton, Ohio.

"There are always bubble teams that could have and should have been invited that could go on a big run that don't get invited," Larranaga said. "... Sixty-eight of 351 Division I teams make the field. That's 19 percent of the teams. Seventy-two teams would make it 20 percent. That is not a huge increase when you compare it to how many football teams make it to a bowl game."

 

[FreeGunston12]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...opose-expanding-ncaa-tournament-four-teams-72

The ACC plans to propose legislation to expand the NCAA tournament field from 68 to 72 teams, commissioner John Swofford said at the conclusion of the league's spring meetings in Amelia Island, Florida.

Swofford said the men's basketball coaches endorsed the proposal, citing more postseason opportunities for football teams compared to basketball teams.

"The idea of having two First Fours, if you will, maybe geographic," Swofford told reporters in Florida, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. "That's such a quick turnaround. You could have one maybe in Dayton and one in the western part of the states. But we will be proposing that."

Miami coach Jim Larranaga told ESPN that expanding the tournament field would be good for several reasons, including "unreasonable" travel for West Coast teams to Dayton, Ohio.

"There are always bubble teams that could have and should have been invited that could go on a big run that don't get invited," Larranaga said. "... Sixty-eight of 351 Division I teams make the field. That's 19 percent of the teams. Seventy-two teams would make it 20 percent. That is not a huge increase when you compare it to how many football teams make it to a bowl game."

How noble of the ACC to think of all those west coast teams and the mid majors that get left out

 

[JPgmuswim]

72 probably allows the ACC to get another undeserving team in to the field each year and the NCAA another set of play in games to throw the mid major and smaller schools in to.

 

[GMUgemini]

Also, only 4 out of 119 teams gave a chance at a national championship in football. All the other bowl games are the NIT or CBI or CIT


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[Walter]

I support this if all first four are bubble teams. No reason a conference champion should have to play what is generally considered a play-in game.

 

[PoorManProfit]

The NCAAT should be decreasing the # of teams participating. However, it's $ and not the quality of play that is valued here.

 

[GMUSig03]

I support this if all first four are bubble teams. No reason a conference champion should have to play what is generally considered a play-in game.

Exactly what I was gonna say. Especially now that a 16 has beaten a 1.

 

[GMUgemini]

64 is perfect to me, not 65 with a play-in game, not 72 with Four play-in games.


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[GMU_DCU]

Does this mean every ACC team will now get an invite regardless of record?

 

[MasonSAE4]

This cries of “we’re mad Norte Dame didn’t get in.”

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

Any more than the current 64+4 is just stupid. Expansion to the tourney will not stop until every ACC team is guaranteed a bid.

The argument in this article that:

"Swofford said the men's basketball coaches endorsed the proposal, citing more postseason opportunities for football teams compared to basketball teams."

This is nonsense. Yeah a hundred teams in college football have opportunities for post season play (Bowls), but not to compete for a national championship. There's the 4 team playoff and everything is just a consolation prize. You want more opportunities for post season play, then create your own little crappy side tournaments that mean nothing just like the college bowls.

Oh wait, they already do NIT, CIT, CBI etc...