I like the idea based on what I've heard so far. I would like it more if regular season champions received automatic bids. Do any of you feel that the A-Sun could benefit from having a 96-team field?

It would not benefit us in the least. It would simply hurt the chances of a low major actually having a dream run. The large majority of the extra spots would be filled by mediocre high majors, and the rest would be filled by pretty good midmajors. It is a terrible idea, plain and simple. It will severely damage college basketball if the tournament is expanded. Can you tell I don't like the idea?

I dislike the idea as well.

I hate the idea but it'll probably filter more money down so what the hell... 64 teams is a bunch of hooey anyways. #1 seeds win it 80% of the time.

Until the NCAA themselves releases the set-in-stone details on how a 96 team format would work, I'll hold my opinion. I know people are talking about how it might be, but we'll see what actually happens.

(04-06-2010 07:03 PM)MercerFan Wrote:  Until the NCAA themselves releases the set-in-stone details on how a 96 team format would work, I'll hold my opinion. I know people are talking about how it might be, but we'll see what actually happens.

A spokesperson from the NCAA (I forget what his name was) described what the format would probably be:

1. The play-in game would be eliminated, meaning there would be one less host site used for the NCAA Tournament.

2. Each of the four regions would have 24 teams instead of 16. The top 8 seeds in each region would get a bye in the first round. So, in each region, you would have the following first round matchups:

#9 seed vs. #24 seed
#10 vs. #23
#11 vs. #22
#12 vs. #21
#13 vs. #20
#14 vs. #19
#15 vs. #18
#16 vs. #17

64 teams would play one another in the first round. The 32 teams who advance out of the first round would play the 32 teams that had a bye. So, essentially, you would have two rounds of 64 teams playing, then have a round of 32 teams, then the Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4, and national title game.

I like this idea because (a) we would have more basketball to watch, and (b) the first-round games would be more competitive with the higher seeded teams getting the bye. However . . . .

1. I would like the idea even better if regular season champions had automatic bids as well as conference tournament champions.

2. I would like the idea even better if teams with sub-.500 records were left out (a sub-.500 team that wins a conference tournament would be the only exception to this rule that I would be okay with).

3. I would like the idea even better if teams that had losing records in their conferences did not get in (barring the one exception I just mentioned above).

So I guess, at this point, I like the 96-team idea as long as they don't do something really screwy with it.

If more A-Sun teams get in, good. Division 1 sports are expensive, so more money will help.

That said, there's no guarantee that the resulting pool of money will be big enough to justify dividing it 96 ways (or even 48 ways if they give 2 autobids per conference). Plus, if there is a rare year when an A-Sun team is good enough to get a seed out of the teens, it will make a deep run that much tougher. (I may be a pessimist, but I don't see any A-Sun cracking the white-jersey line any time soon).

More ASUN teams will NOT get in. This will only help .500 BCS conference schools. If the NCAA would throw the bottom teir conferences a bone and allow the regular season champ and tournament champ both a bid, then I would be a little more inclined to like it. But we all know they won't do that, because it would only help mid and low majors. The regular season champs are already gonna get in the tournament from the top conferences.

There would really be no reason for the 6 BCS conferences to have a conf. tourney anymore.

I wish the Regular season champ of every conf. would get a bid too. But most of the people that I've seen post on boards say that a 16-16 N.Carolina team has a way better chance of winning a game or 2. Which true but it rewards sucky teams. I'd rather see a Campbell, Lipscomb, Stony Brook etc who is say 25-8 playing as a 24 seed vs a 9. Win or lose it would be a great experience for them and their fans who never really get to see them in that setting. The 16-16 NC fans would be saying ah we aren't that good this year, I dont really care but next year watch out.

This will be killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

68 teams. Possible 4 play in games. I suspect this doesn't bode well for ASun getting more games. Who knows. Good news is we'll be able to watch all the games now.

http://deadspin.com/5522092/ncaa-tournam...y-68-teams

(04-10-2010 02:31 AM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  I wish the Regular season champ of every conf. would get a bid too. But most of the people that I've seen post on boards say that a 16-16 N.Carolina team has a way better chance of winning a game or 2.

I would argue that a team that can win neither its regular season nor conference championship has no legitimate claim to play for a national championship.

But then it's all about the m$o$n$e$y.