We are now well into March with many conference tournaments underway and the hot topic surrounding college basketball and football is expansion. In college football, that means moving from the four-team playoffs to 12 and eventually 14, but in college basketball it could mean taking the 68-team field that makes up the sport’s most miraculous playoffs, and increase it to 96.
The conversation has been kicking around for a while, but it really kicked into high gear when Jay Williams spoke about it on ESPN’s College Gameday ahead of Villanova’s game against UConn on Feb. 24.
I’m here to say, never touch my March Madness. March is the most perfect sports month and for those who want more, I would like to introduce you to the 32 conference tournaments that will take place between now and Selection Sunday where the Big Ten will crown its champion. The madness doesn’t start when the Round of 16 begins on Thursday, March 21 or with the First Four in Dayton, it has already started with the conference tournaments.
This is how we decide which teams enter the big dance and with a 96-team tournament, college basketball, like any other sport that continues to expand its playoffs, would devalue its regular season and dilute its product the more valuable.
March Madness is the most exciting postseason in sports, as almost every team has the chance to make a deep run. The teams we would let into the tournament if it were a field of 96 teams simply aren’t good enough to give us a convincing first round.
Right now, Joe Lunardi’s “final four” are Seton Hall, New Mexico, Virginia and Wake Forest. These teams rank 63rd, 26th, 50th and 42nd in the standings. Net Rankings and 56th, 36th, 67th and 27th in Kenpom respectively.
Sure, they’re respectable teams, but the bubble for a 96-team tournament would look like this.
Last four in:
First four outs:
This group would produce some pretty terrible first round basketball games. The Ivy League would potentially be a three-bid league and LSU, which is 16-14 overall and 8-9 in the SEC with a loss to Nicholls on its resume, would be in the field. This LSU doesn’t deserve to play for a chance at a national championship, which people forget is the whole point of March Madness.
What would a 96-team tournament look like? What would a 96-team tournament look like? dark. Following
