D1 is too big as is. Approaching the point of needing a D1AA like football in my opinion⌠leave the tourney at 68 and convert the NIT into the D1AA or have a similar championship. chicago state doesnât need to get embarrassed on national TV and im not gonna tune in for it either
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I just dont see the round of 512 being too interesting and watched⌠plus too many games so it would be at school sites anyways. Was our first four game really watched?
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I am unsure where you get the number â512â, but there are approximately 364 schools playing Div 1 basketball. If you add one full round to the existing tournament, you have 128 schools, and a second day takes you to 256, or 128 games. That would leave you with the necessity of a third partial round. And, while interest in the first 128 and 64 games wouldnât be overwhelming, I imagine the networks would jump on the opportunity to broadcast/stream a significant number of them, and they would pay a bundle for the rights to do so.
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For reference, our NC St ACC-T game had 985k viewers (assume thatâs what P2+ means in Nielsen speak?), and was on ESPN2. Because you have to read all things in terms of distribution reach⌠(ESPN games do better than espn2)
That means starting the NCAAT a week earlier, which means cutting into conference tournaments and/or conference play, meaning you have to start the whole season earlier, which cuts into football season even worse than it already does.
And no, you canât run it later, because then it conflicts with the Masters for CBS, and yes that would be a big deal.
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You simply eliminate two early season contests, but still start at the same time, and finish the regular season a week early. Easy-peasy.
Iâm sure schools canât wait to give up two gamesâ worth of TV, ticket, and concessions revenue, plus the MEAC and SWAC schools who need those early âbuy gamesâ to fund their programs.
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I have a suspicion that more money is to be made in the NCAA tournament for nearly everyone involved. Or, at least, I suspect the net amount will be greater. As for the P6 schools, paying an opponent the guarantee plus the operational expense of playing the game is likely to net less. This is especially true of those lesser P6 teams who donât play in sold out arenas. Admittedly, I imagine that there are a few programs which will not make as much, but I also imagine that they are greatly outnumbered by those that will profit. Itâs just an opinion, though.
I think it would make for a worse product. I personally donât really care how much schools make, in it for the hoops not the $ Iâll never see!
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If it were expanded, and Iâm not in favor, Iâd want something like the FA Cup where instead of just starting with a round of 512 (with about 160 byes and the worst teams playing for spots in the round of 256), youâd see the worst teams play many extra rounds with the next tier of teams entering each round and the best 20 or so finally entering in the round of 64.
This would of course take quite a bit longer.
The best teams would still need to win 6 games. The worst would need to win maybe 12 or so (obviously not happening), but theyâd all get a chance at a win or three and their own fun runs against teams mostly in their ballpark who get progressively better.
There are only 364 schools playing Div 1 basketball. Only a single partial round of games would be necessary to get to the round of 256.
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Thatâs the easy way. I prefer:
Those are just the prelims. The real tourney is:
By my count, thatâs 768 teams playing. The best 44 actually entered in the round of 64. The worst 416 entered in the round of 16,384 and would have had to win 14 rounds to win it all. College doesnât have quite the same talent spread as Premier League â 10th tier semi-pro, so I think we could put the top 20 in the round of 64 and limit things to 10-12 rounds.
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Funny but not true
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All this for a kid who got thoroughly outplayed by Christian Bliss last year at peach jam
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Well played. Saw that one at MoMA last year when I visited my niece who works there.
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Jordan Smith Jr and AWilly had the clamps on him at this yearâs Peach Jam too. He eventually got to 20, but it was super inefficient.
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