God no! 68 is too many for the NCAA. NIT should stay at 32. I don't care if new CIT/CBI increase and try to compete with NIT with payouts but teams who turned them down that thought NIT bids were there was a pretty stupid move. Those outside the P6 in basketball (ACC, BE, B10, B12, PAC 12 and SEC) should never eliminate the possibility of post season play they are just not at those six conferences level.

(03-17-2018 07:29 PM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  I would prefer to that the teams that lose in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament play on in an expanded NIT. Contract the tournament to 64 teams. Take the 48 losers in the first weekend and combine them 16 winners of the NIT's first round to play another single elimination tournament. This gives the NIT a greater meaning as the teams like Virginia, Arizona, Tennessee, and Wichita State get second chance at post-season success. It also allows those that miss the NCAA field a chances to prove themselves.

Have the Round 1 losers play at the NCAA sites on Saturday/Sunday. Still some great matchups and give those on the wrong end of an upset and the little guys another shot. Those winners (16 teams) advance to the NIT and get a *home* game against the NIT Round 1 winners.

So, Monday and Tuesday you would have a bunch of NIT games at the home court of teams that were knocked out of the NCAA tournament.

Round 2 losers (16 teams) advance to the NIT and get a home game the following week - playing the winners from the earlier NIT games. Have NIT regional games as the day card at the 4 regional NCAA sites.

Repeat the process with the Sweet 16: Round 3 losers play the remaining teams from the NIT at the NCAA sites on Saturday/Sunday. Those winners advance.

The four Elite 8 losers advance automatically to New York for the quarterfinals against the NIT regional winners; then the semifinals and Fifth Place game. Like conference tournaments, play the NIT quarterfinals, semifinals, and the NIT championship (a true Fifth Place Game) over 3 consecutive nights.

The Final Four has a 3rd place game preceding the national championship.

EDIT: So, today, tomorrow, Wednesdayweekend, you have the following matchups:

SOUTH
USC at Virginia - winner plays at Buffalo
W. Kentucky at Arizona - winner plays at UMBC
Stanford at Miami - winner plays at Cincinnati
Oklahoma St. at Texas - winner plays at Tennessee
4 winners advance to Atlanta

WEST
St. Mary's at Missouri - winner plays at Ohio St.
Washington at S. Dakota St. - winner plays at Xavier
LSU at SDSU - winner plays at North Carolina
Utah at Houston - winner plays at Houston
4 winners advance to Los Angeles

EAST
Notre Dame at Virginia Tech - winner plays at Marshall
Penn St. at Wichita St. - winner plays at Alabama
Oregon at St. Bonaventure - winner plays at Butler
Marquete at Arkansas - winner plays at Florida
4 winners advance to Boston

MIDWEST
Baylor at NC State - winner plays at Auburn
Mississippi St. at New Mexico St. - winner plays at Seton Hall
Middle Tennessee at TCU - winner plays at Rhode Island
Louisville at Oklahoma - winner plays at Michigan St.
4 winners advance to Omaha

The 4 NIT regional winners advance to Madison Square Garden to play the Elite 8 losers.

(03-19-2018 12:37 PM)YNot Wrote:  

(03-17-2018 07:29 PM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  I would prefer to that the teams that lose in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament play on in an expanded NIT. Contract the tournament to 64 teams. Take the 48 losers in the first weekend and combine them 16 winners of the NIT's first round to play another single elimination tournament. This gives the NIT a greater meaning as the teams like Virginia, Arizona, Tennessee, and Wichita State get second chance at post-season success. It also allows those that miss the NCAA field a chances to prove themselves.

Have the Round 1 losers play at the NCAA sites on Saturday/Sunday. Still some great matchups and give those on the wrong end of an upset and the little guys another shot. Those winners (16 teams) advance to the NIT and get a *home* game against the NIT Round 1 winners.

So, Monday and Tuesday you would have a bunch of NIT games at the home court of teams that were knocked out of the NCAA tournament.

Round 2 losers (16 teams) advance to the NIT and get a home game the following week - playing the winners from the earlier NIT games. Have NIT regional games as the day card at the 4 regional NCAA sites.

Repeat the process with the Sweet 16: Round 3 losers play the remaining teams from the NIT at the NCAA sites on Saturday/Sunday. Those winners advance.

The four Elite 8 losers advance automatically to New York for the quarterfinals against the NIT regional winners; then the semifinals and Fifth Place game. Like conference tournaments, play the NIT quarterfinals, semifinals, and the NIT championship (a true Fifth Place Game) over 3 consecutive nights.

The Final Four has a 3rd place game preceding the national championship.

EDIT: So, today, tomorrow, Wednesdayweekend, you have the following matchups:

SOUTH
USC at Virginia - winner plays at Buffalo
W. Kentucky at Arizona - winner plays at UMBC
Stanford at Miami - winner plays at Cincinnati
Oklahoma St. at Texas - winner plays at Tennessee
4 winners advance to Atlanta

WEST
St. Mary's at Missouri - winner plays at Ohio St.
Washington at S. Dakota St. - winner plays at Xavier
LSU at SDSU - winner plays at North Carolina
Utah at Houston - winner plays at Houston
4 winners advance to Los Angeles

EAST
Notre Dame at Virginia Tech - winner plays at Marshall
Penn St. at Wichita St. - winner plays at Alabama
Oregon at St. Bonaventure - winner plays at Butler
Marquete at Arkansas - winner plays at Florida
4 winners advance to Boston

MIDWEST
Baylor at NC State - winner plays at Auburn
Mississippi St. at New Mexico St. - winner plays at Seton Hall
Middle Tennessee at TCU - winner plays at Rhode Island
Louisville at Oklahoma - winner plays at Michigan St.
4 winners advance to Omaha

The 4 NIT regional winners advance to Madison Square Garden to play the Elite 8 losers.

So are we discussing making the NCAA tournament double-elimination?

(03-19-2018 02:46 PM)AppfanInCAAland Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 12:37 PM)YNot Wrote:  

(03-17-2018 07:29 PM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  I would prefer to that the teams that lose in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament play on in an expanded NIT. Contract the tournament to 64 teams. Take the 48 losers in the first weekend and combine them 16 winners of the NIT's first round to play another single elimination tournament. This gives the NIT a greater meaning as the teams like Virginia, Arizona, Tennessee, and Wichita State get second chance at post-season success. It also allows those that miss the NCAA field a chances to prove themselves.

Have the Round 1 losers play at the NCAA sites on Saturday/Sunday. Still some great matchups and give those on the wrong end of an upset and the little guys another shot. Those winners (16 teams) advance to the NIT and get a *home* game against the NIT Round 1 winners.

So, Monday and Tuesday you would have a bunch of NIT games at the home court of teams that were knocked out of the NCAA tournament.

Round 2 losers (16 teams) advance to the NIT and get a home game the following week - playing the winners from the earlier NIT games. Have NIT regional games as the day card at the 4 regional NCAA sites.

Repeat the process with the Sweet 16: Round 3 losers play the remaining teams from the NIT at the NCAA sites on Saturday/Sunday. Those winners advance.

The four Elite 8 losers advance automatically to New York for the quarterfinals against the NIT regional winners; then the semifinals and Fifth Place game. Like conference tournaments, play the NIT quarterfinals, semifinals, and the NIT championship (a true Fifth Place Game) over 3 consecutive nights.

The Final Four has a 3rd place game preceding the national championship.

EDIT: So, today, tomorrow, Wednesdayweekend, you have the following matchups:

SOUTH
USC at Virginia - winner plays at Buffalo
W. Kentucky at Arizona - winner plays at UMBC
Stanford at Miami - winner plays at Cincinnati
Oklahoma St. at Texas - winner plays at Tennessee
4 winners advance to Atlanta

WEST
St. Mary's at Missouri - winner plays at Ohio St.
Washington at S. Dakota St. - winner plays at Xavier
LSU at SDSU - winner plays at North Carolina
Utah at Houston - winner plays at Houston
4 winners advance to Los Angeles

EAST
Notre Dame at Virginia Tech - winner plays at Marshall
Penn St. at Wichita St. - winner plays at Alabama
Oregon at St. Bonaventure - winner plays at Butler
Marquete at Arkansas - winner plays at Florida
4 winners advance to Boston

MIDWEST
Baylor at NC State - winner plays at Auburn
Mississippi St. at New Mexico St. - winner plays at Seton Hall
Middle Tennessee at TCU - winner plays at Rhode Island
Louisville at Oklahoma - winner plays at Michigan St.
4 winners advance to Omaha

The 4 NIT regional winners advance to Madison Square Garden to play the Elite 8 losers.

So are we discussing making the NCAA tournament double-elimination?

Not really, but kind of.....

NIT/Losers Bracket funnels toward the Fifth Place game. You can't get to the Final Four or the Championship unless you win all your games.

BUT, gives a second chance to teams that lose early to continue to play basketball (in the consolation/NIT bracket).

(03-17-2018 07:29 PM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  I would prefer to that the teams that lose in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament play on in an expanded NIT. Contract the tournament to 64 teams. Take the 48 losers in the first weekend and combine them 16 winners of the NIT's first round to play another single elimination tournament. This gives the NIT a greater meaning as the teams like Virginia, Arizona, Tennessee, and Wichita State get second chance at post-season success. It also allows those that miss the NCAA field a chances to prove themselves.

It'd be easier to just guarantee the winners of each NIT regional a trip to the NCAA Tournament in place of the First Four. That's actually the most fair way to do it, giving the failed regular season champs a second chance.