There is talk that the NCAA is going to a 68-team basketball tournament next season. We await the official word, but if that is true, it appears the NCAA switched gears.
During the NCAA tournament time, the word was the NCAA wanted a 96-team tournament. High seeds would receive first round byes, the NIT would die etc. The basketball public shouted foul. It was a load outcry from fans, columnists and sports talk radio. The sentiment became, "Why mess with a good thing."
I think the NCAA actually listened to the basketball public. The same public that buys tickets, eats food, sleeps in hotel rooms, buys gas or a plane ticket and watches TV. If that was the case, the NCAA made a wise adjustment. One of the important rules of business, don't knowingly upset your customer.
True, the basketball chiefs are expanding the tournament. But I think most people would rather have three more teams than 32. So, we get more play-in games. At least it won't require two pages to list your brackets.
There are some people who think the NCAA will eventually make the huge expansion jump and it just moved slowly this time to pacify fans. That's an interesting theory and could happen. But until it does, I will continue to enjoy the tournament and not worry about the 11th place team in the Big East or Big 12 making the field.
Are you glad the NCAA capped its expansion plans to 68 teams?
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