(03-16-2017 02:16 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(03-15-2017 08:10 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  With 32 conferences, there could be 4 16-team third tier tournaments (conferences have 2 bids unless otherwise noted):

Las Vegas - WAC, WCC, Big West, Big Sky, Pac 12, MWC, Summit (1 team), Big 12 (1 team), Southland (1 team), C-USA (1 team)
Hartford - NEC, AEC, MAAC, Patriot, CAA (1 team), ACC (1 team), MEAC, Ivy, Big East (1 team), A-10 (1 team)
Nashville - Big South, A-Sun, ACC (1 team), CAA (1 team), SEC, SBC, C-USA (1 team), Southland (1 team), SoCon, SWAC
Chicago - AAC, OVC, Big 10, Big 12 (1 team), Summit (1 team), MAC, Horizon, MVC, A-10 (1 team), Big East (1 team)

With the NCAA and NIT, that would be a total of 164 teams in postseason play, slightly less than half of the 351 teams currently in Division I.

The question is whether there would be that much interest in playing in a third tier post-season tournament ... with 16 in the CBI and 26 in the CIT, and the LV16 "on hiatus", that was only interest from 42 schools this year.

And while the CBI is supposed to be open to teams from "power" conferences, only three of the 16 come from multi-bid NCAA conferences ... two from the A10, one from the WCC. Getting an open-ended commitment from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, SEC, Big12 or PAC12 for even one team would seem to be difficult, when none of them seem very interested in taking third tier tournament spots that are theirs for the taking right now.

Three tournaments, each with eight commitments and eight at large spots, with the contract conferences having first call on a second spot, might give a threshold of confidence that the tournament would go ahead, and enough flexibility to make it worthwhile making the commitment. If all three got up, that would kill off the CBI and likely the CIT as well.

Say:

Las Vegas - WCC, WAC, Big West, Big Sky, MWC, Summit, Southland, MVC

Nashville: AAC, CUSA, SBC, MAC, SoCon, OVC, Horizon, SWAC

Hartford: A10, NEC, AEC, MAAC, Patriot, CAA, MEAC, Ivy

This year, the ACC couldn't have sent anybody to a tourney other than the NCAA or the NIT. There were only three teams not invited to one of those, and they all had losing records.

It's hard for me to see much value in these new tourneys like the CIT and CBI. Is one considered a step above the other, or does nobody care? I know I couldn't name a single team in either of them. And once the NCAAT starts, who is watching them besides family and friends?

Maybe they could be repurposed by having four 8 team regionals with all the one-bid conference regular season and conference tournament champs and at-larges playing the week before the Big Dance. Two teams from each of these regionals could earn their way into the NCAAT..