Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said it was something the NCAA needed to look at, while the Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner said “it’s time to consider expansion.” The Southeastern Conference commissioner started the debate last summer when he told Sports Illustrated it was time to take a fresh look at the NCAA Tournament.
Dayton Flyers coach Anthony Grant, whose program would have earned an NCAA Tournament berth in its first five years had the 2020 tournament been held, shared his thoughts when asked Tuesday before training at the Cronin Center.
“I think any time you can add more opportunities for teams to compete in the playoffs, I don’t really see a negative to it,” Grant said. “I don’t think it would have an impact on the quality or attractiveness of the tournament. I guess the first thought that comes to mind is maybe this places more value on what teams do during the regular season rather than basing everything on how you perform during the regular season. ‘a random weekend given at the end of the year. If it creates more opportunities to have more teams more than capable of entering the tournament and winning games there, I would be in favor of that.
The NCAA Tournament last expanded in 2011, when the field grew by four to 68 teams. That’s when Dayton began hosting the First Four.
We were then talking about going further than 68 teams. The possibility of expanding to 96 teams was discussed in 2010. The late Charlie Coles, then coach of the Miami RedHawks, reportedly supported the change.
“The more the merrier,” Coles told the Journal News in 2010. “It’s all about the college athletes, the kids, and the more athletes that can come to the tournament and have that experience, the happier they’ll be. “
This is an argument for expansion. Baylor’s Scott Drew, whose team won a national championship in 2021, would back up a field of 128 teams.
“I know that seems like a lot.” Drew told ESPN. “But everyone (should) win seven games, so it’s just an extra game. But actually, here’s why: I think there’s a lot of parity and, like in football, about half teams make the playoffs.
Many national columnists have written about the downsides of expanding the tournament in recent weeks.
“Coaches want a bigger tournament because, well, then it’s easier to participate (and they get bonuses in return),” wrote Dan Wetzelof Yahoo.com. “Administrators want a bigger tournament because it will increase revenue. TV executives want a bigger tournament because it will generate more viewers for daytime blocks on truTV. That doesn’t mean the sport needs it.
John Feinstein spoke out against the expansion of Washington Post.
“I have often said that the NCAA Tournament was so good that even the NCAA and its television ‘partners’ couldn’t screw it up,” Feinstein wrote. “Games now typically last around 2.5 hours; there are 10 three-minute TV timeouts per game; there are 20-minute halftimes and middle-of-the-night news. And yet, we remain riveted. Expansion won’t kill the NCAA tournament, but it will make it a lot less fun. The shark hasn’t been jumped yet, but it looms in the distance.
DAYTON SEASON PREVIEW
Part 1: Fans dream big, as always
Part 2: A-10 changes tournament format for first time in years
Part 3: A familiar face returns to A-10
Part 4: KenPom.com Math Loves the Flyers
Part 5: Three new replacements join the list
Part 6: Grant and Martin aren’t looking forward to training against each other
Part 7: Tough ranking of non-conference opponents
Part 8: Free throw percentage, a stat to watch for the Flyers
Part 9: UD roster is once again full of international talent
Part 10: Quality of ranking of exempt tournaments
Part 11: How Grant’s Top Six Teams Compare
Part 12: The Rising Star of DaRon Holmes II
