The power conferences could probably make more basketball money in isolation than they can as part of an inclusive tournament that offers a dream to 300-plus different universities. "In theory, sure, they could," said Greg Shaheen, the former NCAA executive vice president who was instrumental in securing the organization's current $10.8 billion television contract for its men's basketball tournament.

That reality should be terrifying.

The power conferences could, in theory, make more money without Butler and VCU -- and more than 250 other schools -- than they can with them, and money is the one thing the power conferences value over all other things. For proof, consider that every significant change in college athletics over the past two decades has been rooted in an ability to make more money. It's why the BCS was scrapped in favor of a four-team playoff the powerbrokers insisted would never happen. They didn't change their position because they finally realized it's absurd to let a computer award championships. They changed their position because they finally realized they can make more money with a four-team playoff than they could with the BCS, and it's why you would be wise to roll your eyes when these same power brokers now insist they'll never move to an eight-team playoff.

Because an eight-team playoff is worth more money than a four-team playoff.

So that's coming, too.

I promise.

More in article if you mash below

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketba...fe-forever

As I said in a thread here several days ago, I think it is Pollyannish to suggest that there would be a hoops tournament excluding all but the top-5 conference teams. They wouldn't want to deal with the complaints.

But there would be few if any complaints if March Madness included, say, the 15 or 16 strongest hoops conferences and excluded every league that has never placed a team in the Sweet 16. The purists and media types want to see Gonzaga, VCU, Butler, Mason et al. Those who root for the underdog want to see the "little guys" who have real potential to make noise. They won't complain much if the Punxsutawney College Groundhogs are left to compete in a different tournament.

And limiting the number of autobids to 16 instead of 34 would open up a lot of new at-large bids, and would allow the tournament to have 64 teams instead of the awkward 68, and would mean more CBS/Turner money going to the stronger conferences that send multiple at-large teams to the tournament.

(08-01-2013 04:56 PM)Wedge Wrote:  As I said in a thread here several days ago, I think it is Pollyannish to suggest that there would be a hoops tournament excluding all but the top-5 conference teams. They wouldn't want to deal with the complaints.

But there would be few if any complaints if March Madness included, say, the 15 or 16 strongest hoops conferences and excluded every league that has never placed a team in the Sweet 16. The purists and media types want to see Gonzaga, VCU, Butler, Mason et al. Those who root for the underdog want to see the "little guys" who have real potential to make noise. They won't complain much if the Punxsutawney College Groundhogs are left to compete in a different tournament.

And limiting the number of autobids to 16 instead of 34 would open up a lot of new at-large bids, and would allow the tournament to have 64 teams instead of the awkward 68, and would mean more CBS/Turner money going to the stronger conferences that send multiple at-large teams to the tournament.

I agree that there's a higher probability of this happening than a breakaway tournament involving only the P5 conferences.

And stipends in CBB would effect that chg. P5+G5+Big East+A10+West Coast

(08-01-2013 04:56 PM)Wedge Wrote:  As I said in a thread here several days ago, I think it is Pollyannish to suggest that there would be a hoops tournament excluding all but the top-5 conference teams. They wouldn't want to deal with the complaints.

But there would be few if any complaints if March Madness included, say, the 15 or 16 strongest hoops conferences and excluded every league that has never placed a team in the Sweet 16. The purists and media types want to see Gonzaga, VCU, Butler, Mason et al. Those who root for the underdog want to see the "little guys" who have real potential to make noise. They won't complain much if the Punxsutawney College Groundhogs are left to compete in a different tournament.

And limiting the number of autobids to 16 instead of 34 would open up a lot of new at-large bids, and would allow the tournament to have 64 teams instead of the awkward 68, and would mean more CBS/Turner money going to the stronger conferences that send multiple at-large teams to the tournament.

Florida Gulf Coast University was much more valuable to ratings of last years tournament than the last team in from the Big East/Pac12/Big10. ASun sure isn't it the top 15 leagues or so.

Really don't see them excluding any conferences, except maybe through play in games.

I could see the current FBS + Big East + MVC + WCC + A-10 splitting off as the NCAA Premier Division. The remaining D-1 schools would be out of the main tournament.

(08-01-2013 07:00 PM)CPslograd Wrote:  Florida Gulf Coast University was much more valuable to ratings of last years tournament than the last team in from the Big East/Pac12/Big10. ASun sure isn't it the top 15 leagues or so.

FGCU wasn't valuable as FGCU, though. They were valuable as "a random team you've never heard of." If Middle Tennessee or Old Dominion or Eastern Michigan or Troy or Colorado STate made the same kind of run, you get the same kind of effect.

You do lose that if you cut out everybody, though.

No, FGCU was valuable because of this:



------------

I do agree with Brista: Take the Big/Power 5 conferences, grab the new (and improved) Big East, the Missouri Valley, WCC and the A-10, and form a new wing of the NCAA.

If UConn fans don't like reading that, then convince your school's POOBAHs to move its hoops to the Big East (where it belongs).

(08-02-2013 09:53 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(08-01-2013 07:00 PM)CPslograd Wrote:  Florida Gulf Coast University was much more valuable to ratings of last years tournament than the last team in from the Big East/Pac12/Big10. ASun sure isn't it the top 15 leagues or so.

FGCU wasn't valuable as FGCU, though. They were valuable as "a random team you've never heard of." If Middle Tennessee or Old Dominion or Eastern Michigan or Troy or Colorado STate made the same kind of run, you get the same kind of effect.

You do lose that if you cut out everybody, though.

Which is why, if this happens, it won't be just 5 conferences, and it won't even be a small group like the Big 5 plus [insert your favorite group of a few no-football conferences here]. It would be large enough to include several leagues that can produce Cinderellas and create the Cinderella hype that CBS/Turner wants.

The monetary benefit to the Big 5 (and no-football leagues that do well in hoops) would come from cutting the autobids down from 34 to about 16 or 17.

(08-02-2013 11:39 AM)Wedge Wrote:  

(08-02-2013 09:53 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(08-01-2013 07:00 PM)CPslograd Wrote:  Florida Gulf Coast University was much more valuable to ratings of last years tournament than the last team in from the Big East/Pac12/Big10. ASun sure isn't it the top 15 leagues or so.

FGCU wasn't valuable as FGCU, though. They were valuable as "a random team you've never heard of." If Middle Tennessee or Old Dominion or Eastern Michigan or Troy or Colorado STate made the same kind of run, you get the same kind of effect.

You do lose that if you cut out everybody, though.

Which is why, if this happens, it won't be just 5 conferences, and it won't even be a small group like the Big 5 plus [insert your favorite group of a few no-football conferences here]. It would be large enough to include several leagues that can produce Cinderellas and create the Cinderella hype that CBS/Turner wants.

The monetary benefit to the Big 5 (and no-football leagues that do well in hoops) would come from cutting the autobids down from 34 to about 16 or 17.

They could still include everybody but drop the autobids down as you suggest by doing something similar to what they did with the Go5 and the access bowl. Autobids to FBS conferences, Big East, etc. and then 2 bids to the highest RPI ranked smallest 10 conference. Something like that.

(08-02-2013 11:50 AM)Miami (Oh) Yeah ! Wrote:  

(08-02-2013 11:39 AM)Wedge Wrote:  

(08-02-2013 09:53 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(08-01-2013 07:00 PM)CPslograd Wrote:  Florida Gulf Coast University was much more valuable to ratings of last years tournament than the last team in from the Big East/Pac12/Big10. ASun sure isn't it the top 15 leagues or so.

FGCU wasn't valuable as FGCU, though. They were valuable as "a random team you've never heard of." If Middle Tennessee or Old Dominion or Eastern Michigan or Troy or Colorado STate made the same kind of run, you get the same kind of effect.

You do lose that if you cut out everybody, though.

Which is why, if this happens, it won't be just 5 conferences, and it won't even be a small group like the Big 5 plus [insert your favorite group of a few no-football conferences here]. It would be large enough to include several leagues that can produce Cinderellas and create the Cinderella hype that CBS/Turner wants.

The monetary benefit to the Big 5 (and no-football leagues that do well in hoops) would come from cutting the autobids down from 34 to about 16 or 17.

They could still include everybody but drop the autobids down as you suggest by doing something similar to what they did with the Go5 and the access bowl. Autobids to FBS conferences, Big East, etc. and then 2 bids to the highest RPI ranked smallest 10 conference. Something like that.

If they do mess with March Madness, they're gonna go big. They're not just going to cut a few autobids. They'll cut half the autobids (34 to about 17).

Here's an idea: Cut the autobids down from 34 to 17. Award those 17 autobids to the 17 top conferences based on "power ratings" from non-conference games from the start of the season through January 31, and then announce on February 1 which leagues get autobids that year. That would be fun. Probably too much fun for the control freaks who run college athletics, so it would never happen.