GW Hoops / Welp. This is why we cannot have nice things

**Posted by GW Alum Abroad** 6/20/2024 4:41 pm

The ever-so-wise Joe Pop´o´Pie said "You need two things to be rich in this world: a lot of money, and a lot of money."
Seems the power and cash grab is now moving to basketball. Honestly, I think most of us (who are not TV execs selling units or gambling houses looking in to bring in the cha-ching) were pretty happy with a 64-team event. But hey, every 9th place finisher in a conference either Murdoch or Disney is bankrolling wants a piece of the action, so here we are.
That said, I would be all in favour of the following expansion, and the following expansion only-- EVERY team gets in but after the top 20 (or so) seeds, the entire bracket is chosen at random lotto style with no seeding other than to make it so conference rivals don´t meet in the first two rounds. Sure, you would get some UMBC vs Eastern Washington duds, but you would also get some enticing match-ups too. And the whole "setting up the tournament so the network gets the best possible ratings no matter what deserving smaller schools get screwed" thing goes away.
But hey, do they care what the fans think?

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ncaa-presents-expanded-basketball-tournament-models-that-could-grow-big-dance-to-72-76-teams/

**Posted by DC Native** 6/21/2024 9:35 am

I think the NCAA is overestimating their product. Yes a lot of people watch the NCAA Tournament, but most are casual fans that are only tuning in to root for their bracket picks. The move from 64 to 68 teams already messed with this, as casual fans don't watch the first four games, which are not part of the bracket, and it is problematic to fill in a bracket when you don't know who is actually playing in four of the first round games. This will only increase that problem... Also, with the increasing separation between the P6 conferences and everyone else, there are less "Cinderellas" (unless you consider mediocre P6 teams to be Cinderellas). I think the high water mark for NCAA Tournament viewership has probably already passed.

**Posted by creeksandzeeks** 6/21/2024 9:53 am

Considering who's running things in the NCAA (it's the Power 4), it's inevitably going to be the 68 teams in the Power 4 getting all 68 teams in + 27 Automatic Qualifiers (assuming that the PAC-12 is fully dissolved and the Power 4 doesn't need AQs anymore), plus maybe 5 at-large bids from the BIG EAST, Mountain West, and occasionally the A-10. The top 32 seeds from the Power 4 automatically get into the Round of 64, and then you do some sort of rock fight among the bottom 36 P4 teams, the AQs, and the handful of at-large bids to get into R64.

It'll be annoying as shit, but it'll make the monied and powerful people happy and that's what matters.