NCAA Reveals Format of new tournament

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Mercury

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The final four at-large teams and final four automatic qualifiers in the newly minted 68-team NCAA men's basketball tournament field will meet for the right to enter the traditional 64-team draw, tournament selection committee chairman Dan Guerrero announced Monday.

The "First Four" will be played either the Tuesday or Wednesday after Selection Sunday. The winners of the four games will advance to what will now be called the "second round" on either Thursday or Friday. The newly named third round -- with 16 games -- will be Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the tournament -- regional semifinals (Sweet 16) and regional finals (Elite Eight) -- will remain as they have been, as will the Final Four, which is set for Houston in 2011.

The games will be televised on TruTv (formerly CourtTV), which is available in 93 million homes, said NCAA vice president Greg Shaheen, who manages the NCAA tournament. CBS, Turner, TBS and TruTV are in their first year of a $10.8 billion, 14-year television agreement. ESPN had carried the tournament's opening-round game in previous years.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5374116
 
It looks like the method described in the SI article is right.

I wasn't on board with Kyle Whelliston's four 16-17 PIGs approach, which while giving more low-major schools $$, would really relegate them further as second class.

This really isn't horrible, or at least any more horrible than a 68 team tournament is already.
 
OK
they went out of their way to make sure two of the lil guys make it to the next round. That may not be the case if they matched the four lowest automatic qualifiers with the four last at-large teams
 
DCDuck said:
"lil guys" last year meant Mississippi State and Illinois.
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I believe E meant that two of the auto bids WILL make the next round. Not the mediocre big6 at large teams.
 
69 puts Va. Tech in the field. Do you really want that?

The tourney needed to be expanded so the Great West could get an automatic bid in 2012 or something like that.

Hey, at least it's better than 96. Providence vs. Auburn - now that's must-see basketball!
 
I think the present play-in game and the new format are fundamentally wrong in that they involve teams that are automatic qualifiers. Those teams have done everything necessary to be in the Big Dance, yet they have to win one more game to win the championship than all the other automatic qualifiers. They are good teams that are being punished for being in a weak conference.

If there are going to be play-in games, they should only be for at-large teams.

I'm even in favor of expanding the tournament to 96 teams. Have 64 at-large teams play a first round game to advance to play the automatic qualifiers. (I know there are only 31 autos right now. They could treat the highest ranked at-large as an auto as far as not playing the first round.)

This would also make winning the individual tournaments more meaningful.

Ain't gonna happen though.
 
enonram said:
I think the present play-in game and the new format are fundamentally wrong in that they involve teams that are automatic qualifiers. Those teams have done everything necessary to be in the Big Dance, yet they have to win one more game to win the championship than all the other automatic qualifiers. They are good teams that are being punished for being in a weak conference.

If there are going to be play-in games, they should only be for at-large teams.

I'm even in favor of expanding the tournament to 96 teams. Have 64 at-large teams play a first round game to advance to play the automatic qualifiers. (I know there are only 31 autos right now. They could treat the highest ranked at-large as an auto as far as not playing the first round.)

This would also make winning the individual tournaments more meaningful.

Ain't gonna happen though.
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I really like your thinking here, Enon. But you're right. Ain't gonna happen.
 
RamChris said:
enonram said:
I think the present play-in game and the new format are fundamentally wrong in that they involve teams that are automatic qualifiers. Those teams have done everything necessary to be in the Big Dance, yet they have to win one more game to win the championship than all the other automatic qualifiers. They are good teams that are being punished for being in a weak conference.

If there are going to be play-in games, they should only be for at-large teams.

I'm even in favor of expanding the tournament to 96 teams. Have 64 at-large teams play a first round game to advance to play the automatic qualifiers. (I know there are only 31 autos right now. They could treat the highest ranked at-large as an auto as far as not playing the first round.)

This would also make winning the individual tournaments more meaningful.

Ain't gonna happen though.
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I really like your thinking here, Enon. But you're right. Ain't gonna happen.
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They could provide even more meaning by reducing the tournament back to 32 teams, 31 champions + 1 at large. Use the NIT as a "second chance tournament" to determine the at-large.
 
RamChris said:
enonram said:
. They are good teams that are being punished for being in a weak conference.
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isn't that a oxymoron

last year Arkansas Pine Bluff wasn't even the best team from their weak conference

I have no problem if all eight teams came from the low majors
 
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