<a href='http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050817/SPORTS/50817013' target='_blank'>http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...SPORTS/50817013</a>

so much for the NIT trying to level the playing field for competition. It is nice to see someone shakedown the money grubbers in the NCAA however.

I'm afraid this is going to hurt the so-called mid majors (I love the fact that I don't have to change MID), because, now, the NCAA can change up the rules and keep as many of the big conference teams in the Big Dance and ship all of the mid majors to the NIT. Say goodbye to Cinderella stories.

I'm trying to think of a good way for them to work the two tournaments together, so as to make a true national champion. I'm thinking, maybe take each of the conference champions and 2nd place finishers and give them an automatic berth into the big dance. The rest of the field is broken up in the NIT in a one rounder. The winners go to the Big Dance and play against the conference champs and 2nd place finishers. The losers finish out the NIT

I don't know that any of that made sense or would even work on paper. I didn't think too hard about it. I just don't want to see the ACC, Big 10 (especially), or any of the other "big time" schools getting 7 or 8 spots in the Big Dance just because of their conference affiliation. I think they should have to earn their spot for a shot at the title just like everyone else, instead of given a 5 or 6 seed with a favorable road to the final four (when mid major conference champions -- Sun Belt included -- get no better than a 11 seed and no shot at making the final four, because they're playing a really good team first round -- Can you say ULaLa vs. UofL last year. Yeah, the Cajuns really didn't deserved that one, and UofL didn't deserve to be that low of a seed)

I don't really see this effecting the NIT so much.... It could help it in alot of ways. The NCAA tourny has had 1st pick of the crop for it's Tournament without having any oversight of the NIT, therefore, I don't see significant changes in the way that's done, except to try to oblige the "bubble teams" that are not selected for the NCAA with a promise of an NIT bid......

The NCAA would undergo a ton of scrutiny if it tried to shove off all the Mid major conference/regular season winners on the NIT. It totally undermines the "Cinderella concept" that makes the NCAA tournament such a great event.