*cues the D.O.A instrumental* This is the death of March Madness....

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An expanded 96-team NCAA men's basketball tournament starting in 2011, the subject of much debate during the current incarnation of March Madness, is considered "probable" by Big Ten conference commissioner Jim Delany.

Delany, speaking to USA Today for a story published Wednesday, used "probable" when asked how he expects discussions about expansion to play out. The newspaper said Delany considers moving from the current 65-team field to 96 likely.

Delany is a high-profile voice in intercollegiate athletics, though he is not currently involved in the NCAA decision-making process. He is a former chairman of the NCAA men's basketball committee.

He also has voiced concerns in the past about an expanded tournament, citing the potential dilution of the regular season as one reason for his caution.

"I'm not looking to see the basketball season made less relevant because we do an expansion without knowing a lot about this," he told The Sporting News in February.

The NCAA can opt out of its current tournament broadcast contract with CBS after this season. It has three years, $2.131 billion remaining of an original 11-year, $6 billion contract.

Some have said that an extra round of 31 games would make the tournament a more valuable television property. The decision has to be made by this summer. The NCAA asked television networks for their thoughts in a request for proposals sent out earlier this year.

Ultimately, the college presidents will decide if the tournament is worth more on the open market.

The possibility of expanding the tournament has been a hotly debated topic the past month. Several prominent coaches, including Villanova's Jay Wright, have campaigned for expansion, noting that only 65 of 344 NCAA Division I teams currently make the tournament. There are 32 more teams in the NCAA-owned NIT.

Wright and others have compared that with football, where 68 of 119 teams in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision earn a bowl bid. Critics have countered that only two get to play for a BCS national title.

The NCAA does not have a postseason tournament in the FBS. There is a postseason playoff system set up for the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA), as well as Division II and Division III.

"The opportunity to decide what's going to happen with our revenue is a big deal," Greg Shaheen, the senior vice president for basketball and business strategies with the NCAA, told The New York Times earlier this month. "It's what a lot of institutions rely on for their athletic programs. That's a centerpiece to why all this happens. It's easy to say you don't want change. But simply put, it's what's appropriate to operate in our best interest."

The next meeting of the NCAA board is April 21 in Indianapolis. Oregon State president Ed Ray, a member of the executive committee, told USA Today: "Conventional wisdom must be that it's not impossible. Otherwise, I don't know why we'd have it scheduled for discussion. But I have absolutely no sense [of] whether it's probable or not."

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.




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All for the love of money.

 
The possibility of expanding the tournament has been a hotly debated topic the past month. Several prominent coaches, including Villanova's Jay Wright, have campaigned for expansion, noting that only 65 of 344 NCAA Division I teams currently make the tournament. There are 32 more teams in the NCAA-owned NIT.
Wright and others have compared that with football, where 68 of 119 teams in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision earn a bowl bid. Critics have countered that only two get to play for a BCS national title

So...he thinks they should change the current format (which almost always works extremely well) to make it more like the screwed up CFB system. Ok then...
 
I dont understand why this is the death of March Madness. If anything, it will make things even more exciting as more Cinderella teams have a chance to beat the big boys. The reason MM is so exciting is because the players are kids. Anything can happen when kids are playing the game. Now, there are just MORE kids playing the game.

I will hold off judgement until I actually see the tournament happen, but have always been a firm believer that if it aint broke, dont fix it.
 
Originally Posted by dland24

I dont understand why this is the death of March Madness. If anything, it will make things even more exciting as more Cinderella teams have a chance to beat the big boys.
If a 16 has never beaten a 1, what's the point of matching up a 24-seed against a 1?
 
I dont understand why this is the death of March Madness. If anything, it will make things even more exciting as more Cinderella teams have a chance to beat the big boys. The reason MM is so exciting is because the players are kids. Anything can happen when kids are playing the game. Now, there are just MORE kids playing the game.

I will hold off judgement until I actually see the tournament happen, but have always been a firm believer that if it aint broke, dont fix it.
Sub-500 teams winning a few games and still not being in the top 32 isnt something most fans care about.  More kids playing = more excitement?  I would doubt anyone finds that comparison true.


While I HATE the idea of an expanded tournament, I'll still watch.  It wont be as exciting, but i'll tune in.  Im not interested in a bunch of tech/directional schools playing each other to see who's the 75th best team in the nation, but if theres nothing else going on id tune in.


Jay Wrights argument is awful.  He doesnt know what the hell hes saying.


Edit:

What I really hate is that it makes the regular season WORTHLESS. 
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Originally Posted by JPZx

Originally Posted by dland24

I dont understand why this is the death of March Madness. If anything, it will make things even more exciting as more Cinderella teams have a chance to beat the big boys.
If a 16 has never beaten a 1, what's the point of matching up a 24-seed against a 1?
Exactly. This tournament was the best of them all.

Good job NCAA and NFL. First OT rules changed, now this.
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Yet again NCAA proves it is a joke if this really goes through
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I am so sick of money running every single thing. Well that and these baby coaches and AD's who need to beef up their resumes so here comes more teams so more schools can act like they accomplished something, i.e. the 6-6 football programs going to a bowl game and coaches getting their contracts extended.

The only part that will truly clinch this is if and when ESPN now takes over the tournament. Then we can OFFICIALLY call this the beginning of the end.

PS  To coaches and ADs saying "we only have 65 teams play yet have 300+ schools": Guess what you have your NITs and other tournaments.
 
Originally Posted by dland24

I dont understand why this is the death of March Madness. If anything, it will make things even more exciting as more Cinderella teams have a chance to beat the big boys. The reason MM is so exciting is because the players are kids. Anything can happen when kids are playing the game. Now, there are just MORE kids playing the game.

I will hold off judgement until I actually see the tournament happen, but have always been a firm believer that if it aint broke, dont fix it.
As Doug Gottlieb said the expansion essentially voids any relevance of championship week, which should be the final chance any fringe teams are given to make the tournament. The product is going to be watered down now that these new found Cinderella's now have a chance to enter the ball when they didn't deserve an invite to begin with.

The only part that will truly clinch this is if and when ESPN now takesover the tournament. Then we can OFFICIALLY call this the beginning ofthe end.
Probably going to happen as soon as the current deal happens. I highly doubt that CBS and its parent company are going to risk $x billion for sub par results. The ratings haven't been what they were looking for seeing how much they spent the first time around.
 
Originally Posted by Lex Starks

Originally Posted by dland24

I dont understand why this is the death of March Madness. If anything, it will make things even more exciting as more Cinderella teams have a chance to beat the big boys. The reason MM is so exciting is because the players are kids. Anything can happen when kids are playing the game. Now, there are just MORE kids playing the game.

I will hold off judgement until I actually see the tournament happen, but have always been a firm believer that if it aint broke, dont fix it.
As Doug Gottlieb said the expansion essentially voids any relevance of championship week, which should be the final chance any fringe teams are given to make the tournament. The product is going to be watered down now that these new found Cinderella's now have a chance to enter the ball when they didn't deserve an invite to begin with.
exactly
 
So on the heels of the most exciting NCAA men's basketball tournament in history, they want to go ahead and revamp it? Thanks NCAA.
 
Originally Posted by Durden7



What I really hate is that it makes the regular season WORTHLESS. 
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beyond worthless

that weak NC team would have been in the tourney this year
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Don't think I agree with expanding the tourney, but ESPN getting it would be a good look:able to broadcast on a variety of channels instead of watching a delayed feed online where you have to have a quick trigger finger to avoid commercials. Sick of CBS' coverage with the exception of Gus.
 
Even better is the fact that teams (not all, but a large number) now more than ever play 10-12 non con cupcakes at home before conference season. God this idea sounds better and better.
 
Watch ESPN get the coverage rights to further ruin things.

If the top teams are given byes and bubble teams are battling it out that first day -- nobody is watching.
 
^ Thing is, everybody will be watching because ESPN would do 24 hour promotion of it the entire week. Add in the fact that the average sports fan is a zombie, there is nothing else on during the weekday, plus the fact that the title of these games will be "tournament games!" and you have to see the networks are still going to reap and ratings will be large
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