CSNbbs

http://blog.al.com/birmingham-news-sport...ess_f.html

A few more open spots. Maybe Davis can finally sneak us in.

Going to 68 is even more lame than going to 96 or dropping to 64, IMO.

Why should only the #16 seeds have to have a play-in game?

60 teams get in, 8 teams play for 4 play-in games.

Ridiculous.

Thank God! 96 would have been catastrophic. The FN Bubble Watch® lives on! It will definitely be interesting next year when I get 37 FN bids to hand out!

68 is rumored to just be an intermediate step while they work out the logistics of a 96 team tournament for 2012.

I certainly don't want 96 teams, but 68 is just ridiculous and shouldn't be considered a great accomplish by those who voted for this. You would respect them more if they dropped it back down to 64.

I think the tournament should go back to 64. I have a stupid question- if teams have to play a "play-in" game- does it mean that the play-in games are not really part of the NCAA tournament? Furthermore- if team "A" has to play in the "play-in" game and loses, are they allowed to hang a banner in their arena saying that they participated in the NCAA Tournament?

(04-22-2010 12:23 PM)BandGrad Wrote: [ -> ]I think the tournament should go back to 64. I have a stupid question- if teams have to play a "play-in" game- does it mean that the play-in games are not really part of the NCAA tournament? Furthermore- if team "A" has to play in the "play-in" game and loses, are they allowed to hang a banner in their arena saying that they participated in the NCAA Tournament?

Good questions. I would consider the play-in game part of the tournament (Just the 1st round) whereas all of the other 63 teams start in the 2nd round.

I would hang a banner if I was the 64 or 65 team (one of the lower tier teams), not UAB of course.

I thought that teams played before the tournament to play themselves in to the tournament.

it probably be called the opening round so it will be an NCAA tornament game.

My understanding is the 96-team tournament is still coming. The NCAA didn't want to pay ESPN its NIT buyout, so they are waiting another year until the ESPN NIT contract expires.

So, there's one more year left of this, and then the NIT is gone, and the NCAA Tournament becomes an even bigger joke than it is now.

This helps us if the big east gets hit for at least three teams

Wasn't the ultimate plan for the ABC/ESPN family to take over the tournament though? With a huge multiyear deal with CBS and the Turner cable networks, you'd think that ESPN would lobby against expansion now to keep the NIT alive.

(04-22-2010 01:17 PM)FNblazer Wrote: [ -> ]Wasn't the ultimate plan for the ABC/ESPN family to take over the tournament though? With a huge multiyear deal with CBS and the Turner cable networks, you'd think that ESPN would lobby against expansion now to keep the NIT alive.

Yeah it would seem pretty stupid for CBS/ Turner to shell out $10.8 billion if the new format only lasts for a year.

Im not against 96 teams. it may be the only way our conference can ever get the respect it deserves. there are teams in the nit every year that could make noise in the dance. I do think that if they go to 96 then they should keep the nit rule about if you win your conference regular season and lose you conferency tourney then you should still get in. Teams like Troy, Costal Carolina, Jackson St., and jacksonville this year should have still gotten in. But that wont happen. this might add importance to the CBI and Colege Insider if it was too happen as ESPN would almost have to put those games on tv with the NIT gone.

We know what's moving all of these changes, so I'm not sure what getting mad about it will do.

(04-22-2010 02:40 PM)stc Wrote: [ -> ]Im not against 96 teams. it may be the only way our conference can ever get the respect it deserves. there are teams in the nit every year that could make noise in the dance. I do think that if they go to 96 then they should keep the nit rule about if you win your conference regular season and lose you conferency tourney then you should still get in. Teams like Troy, Costal Carolina, Jackson St., and jacksonville this year should have still gotten in. But that wont happen. this might add importance to the CBI and Colege Insider if it was too happen as ESPN would almost have to put those games on tv with the NIT gone.

What respect is it when 96 teams get in. And I disagree about the NIT. I don't believe that any NIT team except maybe regular season winners could get past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.

The only problem I have with play in games is that they don't call them play-in games anymore and claim these teams are actually a part of the tournament. You are not a part of the tournament until someone has to pick the winner of your game in the bracket contest.