(03-02-2017 12:21 PM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  Cinderellas get people to fill out brackets, that's for sure. It generates interest in the tournament itself.

But viewership goes down, especially in the later rounds, when P5's are not involved. The NCAA, committee, and networks know this.

Exactly my point. Calculated risk. So if you have a "middling" mid major that arguably could take down more than one P5/6, vs throwing a lower major in there and keeping the money with the majors and still having an "underdog"... by that measure they're killing two birds with one stone.