As has been widely reported, the NCAA is expanding the tournament from 68 to 76 teams and will thus go from having 4 games in the opening round to 12 games in the opening round. Of course, however, the NCAA has once again taken the opportunity to screw teams from non-major conferences a bit more. Half of the opening round games will be from the lowest seeded automatic conference winners, which also pushes down the seeding for mid-major conference winners by roughly 1 1/2 seeds. Further, this system is very unlikely to reward strong mid-major teams who did not win their conference tournament, but instead is likely to reward teams like this year's Auburn who are 1 or 2 games over .500.
The days of mid majors making the sweet 16 being a crowning achievement are over.
The new "crowning achievement" mid majors are shooting for is.... making the tournament
In the last tournament, they were describing a 10 seed Texas as a Cinderella team. Texas, with it s overwhelming access to endless cash, is a Cinderella. Wow, times has changed, and early upsets were non-existent. So much for March Madness being mad.
IMO, the NCAA mens tournament is popular nationwide to a high extent because it provide a great gambling medium. The joy of the game or product quality has tanked in several ways.
Other than familiar mid majors I no longer watch any of it. I now view filling out the brackets as a total waste of time. I threw in the towel on watching professional sports many years ago and that now includes "most" of college basketball.In the last tournament, they were describing a 10 seed Texas as a Cinderella team. Texas, with it s overwhelming access to endless cash, is a Cinderella. Wow, times has changed, and early upsets were non-existent. So much for March Madness being mad.
IMO, the NCAA mens tournament is popular nationwide to a high extent because it provide a great gambling medium. The joy of the game or product quality has tanked in several ways.
Welcome to Charlie Baker's NCAA. Not surprised by the expansion actually deals a shorter hand to mid-majors.
Just thinking out loud...if we have indeed reached the point where the best a mid-major can realistically hope for is to make the tournament, then maybe the mid-majors have reached the point of needing their own sub-division, like D1 football, with their own tournament. And maybe the NIT becomes that tournament.
Charlie Baker and the NCAA are worthless and weak and bow down to the man.