People are always debating if the regular season conference champions are more deserving than the conference tournament champions to get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. So my idea is to have the regular season conference champions get an automatic bye all the way to the conference championship games. That would make the regular season more relevant for the teams that have dominated all season. So the title game would basically be the regular season champion verses the tournament champion. Thoughts?

(03-17-2016 03:32 PM)andy98 Wrote:  People are always debating if the regular season conference champions are more deserving than the conference tournament champions to get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. So my idea is to have the regular season conference champions get an automatic bye all the way to the conference championship games. That would make the regular season more relevant for the teams that have dominated all season. So the title game would basically be the regular season champion verses the tournament champion. Thoughts?

that kind of stuff doesn't work. conferences are giving teams byes and double byes already- and the teams are still losing....

That's a terrific idea!! If you don't have "double bids", this is the next best thing.

(03-17-2016 03:32 PM)andy98 Wrote:  People are always debating if the regular season conference champions are more deserving than the conference tournament champions to get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. So my idea is to have the regular season conference champions get an automatic bye all the way to the conference championship games. That would make the regular season more relevant for the teams that have dominated all season. So the title game would basically be the regular season champion verses the tournament champion. Thoughts?

Why not just give the automatic bid to the regular season champion? Problem solved.

(03-17-2016 03:42 PM)goofus Wrote:  

(03-17-2016 03:32 PM)andy98 Wrote:  People are always debating if the regular season conference champions are more deserving than the conference tournament champions to get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. So my idea is to have the regular season conference champions get an automatic bye all the way to the conference championship games. That would make the regular season more relevant for the teams that have dominated all season. So the title game would basically be the regular season champion verses the tournament champion. Thoughts?

Why not just give the automatic bid to the regular season champion? Problem solved.

Because there's too much money to be made having a conference tournament. And you can't have a conference tournament if they're not playing for something. It's one reason the Ivy is starting one finally.

(03-17-2016 03:34 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  That's a terrific idea!! If you don't have "double bids", this is the next best thing.

Unless said team is the host school...you really think attendance will be any good for the earlier rounds?

Valid point Mark. But I thought most tournaments were on neutral sites.

I believe the NCAA allows conferences to assign the auto-bid to either the regular season champ or tourney champ. If you declare the regular season winner the conference champ you can still have a conference tournament. I think, there are so many rules.

The scenario in the OP sounds awesome if you are the regular season winner. If not you have to play 4-6 games in a 1 week period just for the opportunity to play a team that has been resting for a week. It is hard enough to win 4-6 games in a week (not impossible). But to win against a team that has been resting for a week or more while you played those games would be virtually impossible.

(03-17-2016 03:59 PM)Wolfman Wrote:  I believe the NCAA allows conferences to assign the auto-bid to either the regular season champ or tourney champ. If you declare the regular season winner the conference champ you can still have a conference tournament. I think, there are so many rules.

I'm sure they could but why would they? It would be pointless for every team participating in the smaller conferences.

I remember what they did back in High school- if the #1 seed lost in the tourney, there would be an automatic playback game to determine the district champion. I wonder if they could do that in college basketball as well....

(03-17-2016 04:58 PM)SubGod22 Wrote:  

(03-17-2016 03:59 PM)Wolfman Wrote:  I believe the NCAA allows conferences to assign the auto-bid to either the regular season champ or tourney champ. If you declare the regular season winner the conference champ you can still have a conference tournament. I think, there are so many rules.

I'm sure they could but why would they? It would be pointless for every team participating in the smaller conferences.

I believe it is a leftover from when the NCAAT was much smaller. It gave every team an opportunity for post season play. The knock against the ACC was that they wasted all their energy in the ACCT and flopped in NCAAT.

(03-17-2016 03:51 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Valid point Mark. But I thought most tournaments were on neutral sites.

Smaller conferences often host at a school in the league

Yeah, the "1-bid" leagues.

(03-17-2016 03:34 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(03-17-2016 03:32 PM)andy98 Wrote:  People are always debating if the regular season conference champions are more deserving than the conference tournament champions to get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. So my idea is to have the regular season conference champions get an automatic bye all the way to the conference championship games. That would make the regular season more relevant for the teams that have dominated all season. So the title game would basically be the regular season champion verses the tournament champion. Thoughts?

that kind of stuff doesn't work. conferences are giving teams byes and double byes already- and the teams are still losing....

One reason they lose is because of rust. Supposes you give the regular season champ a bye to final. Then, say, a night or two before the final, you assemble an "all star" team from the teams already eliminated from play, and have them play an exhibition game vs the regular season champs. That gives the fans of all the teams eliminated in early rounds something to stick around for--it adds an interesting television event for the tournament, it would draw well since there would be appeal to multiple fan bases, and it would knock the rust off of the regular season champ so you get a good game in the final.

I've said for years that the top 8, or 12 or 16 conferences should be given an auto bid for the regular season champ and be pre-assigned before the season as to which sub-regional location they will play at. Win a top conference and you know in advance you are going to Providence or Denver or where ever. Still want to win your conference tournament to improve your seed. Don't win it and the conference tournament winner gets an auto as well.