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The CBI's schedule/bracket has been released.

2008 CBI Tournament

Well, it's nice the MAC is back to four teams in the post-season.

But I must say, whoever is running the CBI seemed to do no homework on how to run a tournament for "left-overs". First, don't charge a fee for participants. Revenue-sharing is the way to go.

In retrospect, there would be no need for a CBI if the NCAA actually looked out for its own members. After buying out the NIT people, they shrunk that tourney by eight teams. Further, the auto bids to conference champs is mainly a benefit for the low-major leagues. Such teams would normally stay home for the post-season. For MAC schools, it shrunk the pool even further.

If I were a league outside of the BCS, I'd petition for the NIT to have 48 to 64 teams. In that way, it would put in virtually every team who had a decent regular season.

If the CBI proves a threat to the NIT I would expect the NIT to expand in order to shrink the pool of availible teams. I can't imagine the CBI will last very long with the way its currently set up. They took a Cincinnati team that is like 6 games under .500. Its a joke to put a team like that in the post season.

I can see the argument FOR having the Bearcats in the tourney. They did finish in a decent position in the Big East, although they did not qualify for the BE tournament. They are a name team, bringing instant recognition to this new tourney.

Okie Chippewa Wrote:But I must say, whoever is running the CBI seemed to do no homework on how to run a tournament for "left-overs". First, don't charge a fee for participants. Revenue-sharing is the way to go.

I'm pretty sure they have to charge that fee to survive and make it since they're new. Once they are established then they can reduce the fee. If they could get ESPN or one of the other major national networks to pick up the games next year and pay them so they break even on everything then i'm sure they will reduce the fee. I'm pretty sure the NIT charges a fee for schools that host as well, probably not as much though.

Gooch Wrote:I can see the argument FOR having the Bearcats in the tourney. They did finish in a decent position in the Big East, although they did not qualify for the BE tournament. They are a name team, bringing instant recognition to this new tourney.

This is a POST season tourney though. Bringing in name teams with losing records defeats the purpose of a post season IMO. Why not let 5-7 schools with big names in to minor bowl games then? I'm sure the International Bowl would have rather had a team like Miami (Fla.) than they would Ball State.

There should be a minimum standard of a winning record to maintain or in this case establish the integrity of the event.

Liam, I think this post season tournament is a bit of a different animal. They are hoping to compete w/ the NIT. Also, remember that teams can accept or decline an invite to this tourney. New Mexico State is one team off the top of my head that declined an invite.

You might be right, and I guess its better to keep playing in some kind of tourny than not be playing, but it seems to me that without a minimum criteria the event is not a credible post season event as much as it is a series of exhibitions.

They probably looked at Cincinnati's record in the Big East and gave them the benefit of the doubt. I am surprised that Western didn't get invited to this event. Actually, I'm more surprised that they didn't get an NIT invite w/ Akron.

The shrunken NIT field doesn't allow as many opportunities for the MAC as the 48 team field did, and unfortunately I can't see many home NIT games possible for MAC schools the way the field is currently constructed. I think if Akron won the MAC tournament the conference might not have had anyone in the NIT.

I think Western or Miami would have gotten in the NIT had Akron won the MAC tourney.

I agree but I wouldn't have expected it.

Found this - http://www.mlive.com/broncos/index.ssf/2008/03/17/

CBI! CBI! CBI!

the cbi is connected to an early season tournament. they are using the new post season in connection with the in season one and i think miami and ou will get invites as a result. that is a carrot for potential teams knowing that you get into a quality field exempt tourney the next yr.

western had little hope for an nit bid. the nit is 32 teams. 8 are automatic bids this yr to conference champs who lost in their league tourney. that means 24 at large bids. half of those go to the bubble teams that just missed the ncaa (florida, syracuse, osu, illinois st, etc...) that leaves 12 spots for teams like cleveland state, nebraska, creighton, uab, new mexico, etc... for western to battle with. western has a case in that they beat siu who got a bid, beat davidson who went to the ncaas and won their division. but their overall resume is no better than most of these teams, their rpi is low, their record doesn't stand out for a mid major, and they lost a couple games late (at central, mac semis) that would have really helped. honestly, ou and miami have better quality wins than many of these nit at large teams and their rpi are in the middle of the nit range. at least those schools get to keep playing in the cbi thing. wouldn't be surprised to see either make it to the final four of that one. btw. that tourney in on fox college sports tv but it doesn't look like either mac school will have their first game shown, maybe there's a web feed?

pono Wrote:the cbi is connected to an early season tournament. they are using the new post season in connection with the in season one and i think miami and ou will get invites as a result. that is a carrot for potential teams knowing that you get into a quality field exempt tourney the next yr.

western had little hope for an nit bid. the nit is 32 teams. 8 are automatic bids this yr to conference champs who lost in their league tourney. that means 24 at large bids. half of those go to the bubble teams that just missed the ncaa (florida, syracuse, osu, illinois st, etc...) that leaves 12 spots for teams like cleveland state, nebraska, creighton, uab, new mexico, etc... for western to battle with. western has a case in that they beat siu who got a bid, beat davidson who went to the ncaas and won their division. but their overall resume is no better than most of these teams, their rpi is low, their record doesn't stand out for a mid major, and they lost a couple games late (at central, mac semis) that would have really helped. honestly, ou and miami have better quality wins than many of these nit at large teams and their rpi are in the middle of the nit range. at least those schools get to keep playing in the cbi thing. wouldn't be surprised to see either make it to the final four of that one. btw. that tourney in on fox college sports tv but it doesn't look like either mac school will have their first game shown, maybe there's a web feed?

There is a feed through the CBI site, but one has to pay for it.

So, if you make it to the championship series, and play all three games, that could really be hell to travel. If it were Brown and Washington for instance, that is a lt of travel to keep going back and forth.. The original idea is nice, but I don't see the current format lasting.

KSUDan Wrote:So, if you make it to the championship series, and play all three games, that could really be hell to travel. If it were Brown and Washington for instance, that is a lt of travel to keep going back and forth.. The original idea is nice, but I don't see the current format lasting.

I wouldn't worry about Brown. One trip to Athens is all the traveling that they will have to do.

Did anyone catch the comment in the Cincinnati Enquirer that Fifth Third Arena would be the host for the 2nd round game if UC wins?

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...0/1062/SPT

Quote:If the Bearcats win, they will play a quarterfinal game on March 24 at Fifth Third Arena against the winner of the Ohio-Brown game.

Assuming they win, I'd be pissed off if I was OU and had to travel to Cincinnati when they are clearly a lower seed - no matter how you cut it.

This was also interesting:

Quote:UC will be paid travel expenses for its trip to Bradley and will share in the gate revenue if it hosts a home game.

That sucks. Although, next week is OU's Spring Break. A-Town will be dead. At least we would get a split at the gate.