A Modest Proposal

lawmanfan

lawmanfan

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Let me preface this by saying this: I would prefer not to see any changes at all to the NCAA Tournament; I think it's perfect just the way it is. In fact, if I had a choice I would eliminate the play-in games and go back to a straight field of 64.

However, since (a) that is not going to happen; and (b) jackasses like SEC Commissioner Sankey have the genius idea of expanding the tournament with the goal of minimizing the participation of the non-Power 5 schools, I have the following alternative suggestion.

1. Expand the field from 64 to 80.
2. That's an additional 16 teams (the current First Four plus 12 more).
3. RETAIN automatic qualifiers for conference winners.
4. EXEMPT the AQs from Week 1 games (more about that below)
5. Create four brackets of 15 teams each; leave the 11 seeds open.
6. Push the start of those games back a week, to the second Thursday after Selection Sunday.
7. The First 16 play on the first Thursday/Friday and Saturday/Sunday after Selection Sunday.
8. The four survivors get plugged into the brackets as the 11 seeds.

This expands the size of the tournament in a roughly proportionate manner to the number of teams playing D1 basketball now as opposed to what it was when the tournament was last expanded to 64. It preserves the essential character of the tournament with the Cinderellas still having a ticket to the main ball. It allows the borderline Power 5, and Big East, and other schools (like a 4th team from the A10, etc) a chance to play their way in. It adds a week to the tournament which means more ads and more TV dollars. It allows schools that had injuries in the conference tournament a week to heal up. The only downside is the 60 teams that get a bye to the main tournament have 11 or 12 days off, but it isn't a perfect world.

I might point out that given the performance of his league in this year's tournament - or I should say the near-total lack of performance of his league in this year's tournament - Sankey can take his opinion that mediocre major-conference schools are superior to AQs from non-P5 conferences and stick it where the sun don't shine.

Anyway, just a thought on how to expand the tournament to generate more participation and more money without doing violence to the things that make the tournament great.
 
Of course we'd need a better name for the First Sixteen. The Sweating It Out Sixteen?
 
I agree with this. Only thing is, I think the games should be on Tuesday and Wednesday night still.

Two other things I'd say:
1) Call this the NIT, it would be a nice way to keep some "tradition".
2) What if the four games were played at the most historic/iconic places around the country each year?

NIT Eastern regional: The Palestra
NIT Midwestern regional: Hinkle Fieldhouse
NIT Southern regional: Cameron Indoor
NIT Western regional: Pauley Pavillion

They can cycle through different legacy/"must see" college-only places like this every year. It's better than some of the lifeless (-cough- Barclays -cough-) places we watch on TV for the rest of the tournament.
 
dk423 said:
I agree with this. Only thing is, I think the games should be on Tuesday and Wednesday night still.

Two other things I'd say:
1) Call this the NIT, it would be a nice way to keep some "tradition".
2) What if the four games were played at the most historic/iconic places around the country each year?

NIT Eastern regional: The Palestra
NIT Midwestern regional: Hinkle Fieldhouse
NIT Southern regional: Cameron Indoor
NIT Western regional: Pauley Pavillion

They can cycle through different legacy/"must see" college-only places like this every year. It's better than some of the lifeless (-cough- Barclays -cough-) places we watch on TV for the rest of the tournament.
Click to expand...
I went back and forth on "and fold the NIT." Calling this the NIT might be a good way to handle that assuming they don't want to also run that for whatever reason it runs now. You could play these games Tues/Wed and Thurs/Fri instead of Thurs/Fri and Sat/Sun - I assume TV would drive that decision. Would also open up some more potential venues, great idea too.
 
Another note as I shamelessly reply to my own thread:

With this format in effect this year you could have had SJU vs Virginia; Providence v. Indiana State; Seton Hall vs. Richmond, etc. Let it play out on the court instead of online.
 
dk423 said:
I agree with this. Only thing is, I think the games should be on Tuesday and Wednesday night still.

Two other things I'd say:
1) Call this the NIT, it would be a nice way to keep some "tradition".
2) What if the four games were played at the most historic/iconic places around the country each year?

NIT Eastern regional: The Palestra
NIT Midwestern regional: Hinkle Fieldhouse
NIT Southern regional: Cameron Indoor
NIT Western regional: Pauley Pavillion

They can cycle through different legacy/"must see" college-only places like this every year. It's better than some of the lifeless (-cough- Barclays -cough-) places we watch on TV for the rest of the tournament.
Click to expand...
I think the idea of holding the NIT 4 or 5 days before the NCAA is an interesting idea… with the final four gaining access to the main bracket.
I don’t think you could go any deeper than a
16- team field. If the dollars generated by higher ratings makes sense, the rich, but tarnished history of the NIT can be somewhat restored by the playing of meaningful games. Dumb idea?
 
lawmanfan said:
Let me preface this by saying this: I would prefer not to see any changes at all to the NCAA Tournament; I think it's perfect just the way it is. In fact, if I had a choice I would eliminate the play-in games and go back to a straight field of 64.

However, since (a) that is not going to happen; and (b) jackasses like SEC Commissioner Sankey have the genius idea of expanding the tournament with the goal of minimizing the participation of the non-Power 5 schools, I have the following alternative suggestion.

1. Expand the field from 64 to 80.
2. That's an additional 16 teams (the current First Four plus 12 more).
3. RETAIN automatic qualifiers for conference winners.
4. EXEMPT the AQs from Week 1 games (more about that below)
5. Create four brackets of 15 teams each; leave the 11 seeds open.
6. Push the start of those games back a week, to the second Thursday after Selection Sunday.
7. The First 16 play on the first Thursday/Friday and Saturday/Sunday after Selection Sunday.
8. The four survivors get plugged into the brackets as the 11 seeds.

This expands the size of the tournament in a roughly proportionate manner to the number of teams playing D1 basketball now as opposed to what it was when the tournament was last expanded to 64. It preserves the essential character of the tournament with the Cinderellas still having a ticket to the main ball. It allows the borderline Power 5, and Big East, and other schools (like a 4th team from the A10, etc) a chance to play their way in. It adds a week to the tournament which means more ads and more TV dollars. It allows schools that had injuries in the conference tournament a week to heal up. The only downside is the 60 teams that get a bye to the main tournament have 11 or 12 days off, but it isn't a perfect world.

I might point out that given the performance of his league in this year's tournament - or I should say the near-total lack of performance of his league in this year's tournament - Sankey can take his opinion that mediocre major-conference schools are superior to AQs from non-P5 conferences and stick it where the sun don't shine.

Anyway, just a thought on how to expand the tournament to generate more participation and more money without doing violence to the things that make the tournament great.
Click to expand...
I like it. Except this proposal is hardly modest. 😄
 
I saw the title of the thread with the word “ modest “ and started by my good friend Lawmanfan and laughed out loud before I even had a chance to read it. :)
 
lawmanfan said:
Maher, you and Kranmars are a pair of illiterate Neanderthals. Google "Swift, Jonathan"
Click to expand...
Hey, come on now. If you are going to insult me, about my illiteracy, do it correctly. I have Italian heritage, not Dutch.

And I am too lazy to Google this “Swift Jonathan” guy. But if you include him in a post with Maher and myself, the guy must be a genius satirist. 😁
 
lawmanfan said:
Let me preface this by saying this: I would prefer not to see any changes at all to the NCAA Tournament; I think it's perfect just the way it is. In fact, if I had a choice I would eliminate the play-in games and go back to a straight field of 64.

However, since (a) that is not going to happen; and (b) jackasses like SEC Commissioner Sankey have the genius idea of expanding the tournament with the goal of minimizing the participation of the non-Power 5 schools, I have the following alternative suggestion.

1. Expand the field from 64 to 80.
2. That's an additional 16 teams (the current First Four plus 12 more).
3. RETAIN automatic qualifiers for conference winners.
4. EXEMPT the AQs from Week 1 games (more about that below)
5. Create four brackets of 15 teams each; leave the 11 seeds open.
6. Push the start of those games back a week, to the second Thursday after Selection Sunday.
7. The First 16 play on the first Thursday/Friday and Saturday/Sunday after Selection Sunday.
8. The four survivors get plugged into the brackets as the 11 seeds.

This expands the size of the tournament in a roughly proportionate manner to the number of teams playing D1 basketball now as opposed to what it was when the tournament was last expanded to 64. It preserves the essential character of the tournament with the Cinderellas still having a ticket to the main ball. It allows the borderline Power 5, and Big East, and other schools (like a 4th team from the A10, etc) a chance to play their way in. It adds a week to the tournament which means more ads and more TV dollars. It allows schools that had injuries in the conference tournament a week to heal up. The only downside is the 60 teams that get a bye to the main tournament have 11 or 12 days off, but it isn't a perfect world.

I might point out that given the performance of his league in this year's tournament - or I should say the near-total lack of performance of his league in this year's tournament - Sankey can take his opinion that mediocre major-conference schools are superior to AQs from non-P5 conferences and stick it where the sun don't shine.

Anyway, just a thought on how to expand the tournament to generate more participation and more money without doing violence to the things that make the tournament great.
Click to expand...
I may be misunderstanding something, but it seems to me that your proposal only allows for 76 teams.15 teams x 4 brackets = 60 teams + first 16 = 76. The four 11 seeds will come from the pool of first 16 and will not be additional teams.
 
AlBovino said:
I may be misunderstanding something, but it seems to me that your proposal only allows for 76 teams.15 teams x 4 brackets = 60 teams + first 16 = 76. The four 11 seeds will come from the pool of first 16 and will not be additional teams.
Click to expand...
You are correct. I clearly suck at math.
 
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