NCAA Tournament Expansion OK, But Not to 96

As the 2010 NCAA basketball tournament gets set to begin tomorrow, there is still a lot of discussion about expanding the tournament field to 96 teams. While I like the current set up of 65 teams, I can see the potential for expansion. But to 96 teams? I don’t think so.

For one, with 96 teams, the tournament would stretch out f-o-r-e-v-e-r. There’s only so much college basketball a person can watch. An expanded field of 96 teams could also dilute the level of competition because the field would include too many teams that are not the same caliber as the top-level teams with better records.

But what about expanding the tournament to 72 teams? I’m talking about only seven additional teams over the current 65-team field. In the 72-team field, I envision each bracket with 18 teams. The bottom four seeds in each bracket would face off to determine who advances. The higher-seeded winner would face the number two seed while the lower-seeded winner would face the number one seed. Tournament play would begin on Tuesday night (sorry NIT), thus giving the sport added national exposure.

Giving the top teams in each bracket a bye in the first round is nothing new to college basketball. Some of the larger conferences, including the Big 10, Big 12 and the ACC, already do this in their conference tournaments. This should be an easy adjustment to make for the NCAA.

The expanded tournament also might increase the number of at-large bids, thus increasing the chances for mid-majors to be included in the field. It might also eliminate the debate about which bubble teams make it in to the tournament. While some argue that the weak bubble field this year (there were only three) makes the case for keeping the tournament set up just as it is, in most years, there are anywhere from four to eight bubble teams. With an expanded field, those four to eight bubble teams won’t be left behind.

No post-season playoff scenario is ever perfect. The current NCAA tournament is as close as we’ll ever get. But the tournament’s growing popularity and the rising competitiveness of the mid-major teams may force the NCAA’s hand. Expansion may be inevitable, whether we like it or not.