# USA Today: Expansion to 96 team tournament "probable"



## BigE (Jun 11, 2003)

Support has grown to the point that Big Ten Conference Commissioner Jim Delany, a former chairman of the committee that oversees the tournament and a critic of large-scale expansion, sees a move from 65 to 96 teams as likely, he said Tuesday.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2010-03-30-ncaa-tournament-expansion_N.htm


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## BlueBaron (May 11, 2003)

I don't know... they said they were considering 68, 80, and 96 with 68 and 96 as the 2 favorites. I really think it would cheapen the whole experience but that's just my opinion.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

This just isn't the year to talk about diluting the field....But there's absolutely no point in pretending that this is about the competition. This is about money, plain and simple. It'd certainly take a lot of pressure off the coaches in the bcs conferences. You'd have had to have taken a buttload of crap teams to get above 72 this year. Would they have any rules about your winning percentage overall or in conference?


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## Reisedoggy (Aug 27, 2004)

Why even have a regular season?


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## Carbo04 (Apr 15, 2005)

Horrible.


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## kansasalumn (Jun 9, 2002)

if we had a 96 field that I heard on the radio #1 teams could not even wn thieir first game like UK could play Seton Hall or texas tech which be a harder game. NCAA need to fix college football championships before work on basketball


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Stupid, stupid, stupid.


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## BigE (Jun 11, 2003)

kansasalumn said:


> if we had a 96 field that I heard on the radio #1 teams could not even win thieir first game like UK could play Seton Hall or texas tech which be a harder game. NCAA need to fix college football championships before work on basketball


so it will be harder on the #1 teams...but the field would be diluted?


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

People will get used to it, but this does cheapen the tournament.


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## BigE (Jun 11, 2003)

HB said:


> People will get used to it, but this does cheapen the tournament.


How???


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

If you are talking about getting used to it, whenever there's a change people complain about it first time around but eventually get used to it....see facebook for reference.

On the other hand, if you mean the tourney being cheapened, pretty much every team going to the NIT will be in the NCAA now. Have you thought how tedious it will be filling out a 96 team bracket?


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## kansasalumn (Jun 9, 2002)

I think they should let the new 32 teams play it out then get added to the rest of the field


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## BigE (Jun 11, 2003)

HB said:


> If you are talking about getting used to it, whenever there's a change people complain about it first time around but eventually get used to it....see facebook for reference.
> 
> On the other hand, if you mean the tourney being cheapened, pretty much every team going to the NIT will be in the NCAA now. Have you thought how tedious it will be filling out a 96 team bracket?


What could have been: a 96-team NCAA tournament bracket
A couple of weeks ago, Eric Prisbell of The Washington Post ginned up what a 96-team bracket. It ran on the front page of the Sports section, but never got posted on the Web site. So here you go. Keep in mind; this was drawn up on March 3, 2010 so some of the seeds may not reflect current reality:

*ST. LOUIS REGION*

_Oklahoma City Subregion_
Thursday
(16) Wichita State vs. (17) Northeastern
(9) Marquette vs. (24) Jackson State (SWAC)

(13) Mississippi State vs. (20) Marshall
(12) Illinois vs. (21) Louisiana Tech

Saturday
(1) Kansas (Big 12) vs. Wichita State/Northeastern winner
(8) Florida State vs. Marquette/Jackson State winner

(4) Temple (Atlantic 10) vs. Mississippi State/Marshall winner
(5) Brigham Young vs. Illinois/Louisiana Tech winner


_Milwaukee Subregion_
Thursday
(14) Siena (Metro Atlantic) vs. (19) Murray State (OVC)
(11) Florida vs. (22) Belmont (Atlantic Sun)

(10) Utah State (WAC) vs. (23) North Texas (Sun Belt)
(15) South Florida vs. (18) Texas Tech

Saturday
(3) Pittsburgh vs. Siena/Murray State winner
(6) Maryland vs. Florida/Belmont winner

(7) Richmond vs. Utah State/North Texas
(2) Purdue (Big Ten) vs. South Florida/Texas Tech winner

*SYRACUSE REGION*

_Providence Subregion_
Thursday
(16) Minnesota vs. (17) VCU
(9) Texas-El Paso (Conf. USA) vs. (24) Lehigh (Patriot)

(13) Rhode Island vs. (20) New Mexico State
(12) Virginia Tech vs. (21) Illinois State 

Saturday
(1) Kentucky (SEC) vs. Minnesota/VCU winner
(8) Clemson vs. Texas-El Paso/Lehigh winner

(4) Georgetown vs. Rhode Island/New Mexico State winner
(5) Baylor vs. Virginia Tech/ Illinois State winner


_Buffalo Subregion_
Thursday
(14) Kent State (MAC) vs. (19) Arizona
(11) Old Dominion (CAA) vs. (22) Wofford (Southern)

(10) Northern Iowa (MVC) vs. (23) Morgan State (MEAC)
(15) UNC Charlotte vs. (18) Georgia

Saturday
(3) Ohio State vs. Kent State/Arizona winner
(6) Xavier vs. Old Dominion/Wofford winner

(7) Wake Forest vs. Northern Iowa/Morgan State winner
(2) West Virginia vs. UNC Charlotte/Georgia winner

*HOUSTON REGION*

_New Orleans Subregion_
Friday
(16) South Carolina vs. (17) North Carolina
(9) California (Pac-10) vs. (24) Stony Brook (America East)

(13) Mississippi vs. (20) Miami
(12) Notre Dame vs. (21) Tulsa

Sunday
(1) Syracuse (Big East) vs. South Carolina/North Carolina winner
(8) Oklahoma State vs. California/Stony Brook winner

(4) Michigan State vs. Mississippi/Miami winner
(5) Butler (Horizon) vs. Notre Dame/Tulsa winner


_Jacksonville Subregion_
Friday
(14) Cornell (Ivy) vs. (19) Northwestern
(11) Connecticut vs. (22) Oakland (Summit)

(10) Georgia Tech vs. (23) Coastal Carolina (Big South)
(15) Cincinnati vs. (18) St. Louis

Sunday
(3) Vanderbilt vs. Cornell/Northwestern winner 
(6) Texas A&M vs. Connecticut/Oakland winner

(7) Gonzaga (WCC) vs. Georgia Tech/Coastal Carolina winner
(2) Kansas State vs. Cincinnati/St. Louis winner

*SALT LAKE CITY REGION *

_Spokane Subregion_
Friday
(16) Seton Hall vs. (17) William & Mary
(9) Louisville vs. (24) Robert Morris (Northeast)

(13) San Diego State vs. (20) St. John’s
(12) Dayton vs. (21) Sam Houston State

Sunday
(1) Duke (ACC) vs. Seton Hall/William & Mary winner
(8) Nevada-Las Vegas vs. Louisville/Robert Morris winner

(4) Wisconsin vs. San Diego State/ St. John’s winner
(5) Tennessee vs. Dayton/Sam Houston State winner


_San Jose Subregion_
Friday
(14) Arizona State vs. (19) Memphis
(11) St. Mary’s vs. (22) Weber State (Big Sky)

(10) UAB (MVC) vs. (23) Santa Barbara (Big West)
(15) Washington vs. (18) North Carolina State

Sunday
(3) New Mexico (MWC) vs. Arizona State/Memphis winner
(6) Texas vs. St. Mary’s/Weber State winner

(7) Missouri vs. UAB/Santa Barbara winner
(2) Villanova vs. Washington/North Carolina State winner


*Last four at-large teams in*
Miami
Tulsa
Louisiana Tech
Illinois State

*First four at-large teams out*
Boston College
College of Charleston
Portland
Virginia 

*Multi-bid Conference Breakdown*
ACC (10)
Atlantic 10 (7)
Big 12 (8)
Big East (13)
Big Ten (7)
CAA (4) 
Conference USA (5)
Missouri Valley (3)
Mountain West (4)
Pac-10 (4)
SEC (8)
WAC (3)
WCC (2)


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## coolpohle (Dec 28, 2006)

Doing a bracketology with 96 teams is sure going to take a lot more time, that's for sure. lol

I think one of the things that really sucks about this is that two of the greatest days in sports are the Thursday and Friday of the first round games. Now that is going to be stripped away with the games starting on Tuesday. 

Yes, people don't like change in general and a lot of have talked about, well we'll get used to it and it won't be that bad. It will be that bad. The end of the tournament will still be exciting. But all the other stuff that goes along with the tourney will be gone. And we will miss it. Trust me.


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## BigE (Jun 11, 2003)

*CBS Sports: Expansion to 96 team tournament*










http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/13165827?tag=coverlist_active;coverlist_footer


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## coolpohle (Dec 28, 2006)

Chalk certainly won't hold up as much. It'll be a lot tougher for say a team like Kansas to play UNC/William & Mary in the Round of 64 versus playing Lehigh.


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## BigE (Jun 11, 2003)

*two more 96-team brackets*

http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1074155

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/bracket?id=5071629


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## kansasalumn (Jun 9, 2002)

the WORSE move ever


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## SheriffKilla (Jan 1, 2004)

Ya I dont like it still, I mean Im gonna love NCAA basketball no matter what but why?
Everyone hates the BCS yet they wont change that, and everyone loves the March Madness tournament so of course they change it... idiots..


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## Willo (Nov 21, 2003)

Every single true mid-major outside of Butler and Gonzaga has to play a play-in game. That's the real reason behind it.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

*68 teams...whew!*


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## kansasalumn (Jun 9, 2002)

THank goodness it is not 96 teams 68 teams even 72 is the most logical going to 96 would dilute the tourney, and a lot of potential miss class time for these kids.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

68 seems pretty random. I guess they figured that would give them more dollars without making them look foolish and greedy like 96 would have. I'd guess they've decided they'll creep upwards to minimize the clamor from the cheap seats. Next year they'll probably vote to go to 72 and so forth.


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## BigE (Jun 11, 2003)

Diable said:


> 68 seems pretty random.


...and 65 didn't?

This is a reasonable compromise for now...keeps the traditonalists off the ledge

*CONFERENCES LIKELY TO PLAY ON TUESDAY*

SUMMIT LEAGUE 
AMERICA EAST
SOUTHLAND 
PATRIOT
BIG SOUTH
MEAC
NORTHEAST
SWAC


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## kansasalumn (Jun 9, 2002)

I think expand to 96 is random.


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## BigE (Jun 11, 2003)

How about a suggestion that no automatic qualifier play on Tuesday



> the last 4 bubble teams in and the last 4 bubble teams that used to be out play.
> 
> winners get 12 seeds
> 
> losers get top 4 seeds in NIT


http://www.nysportsday.com/2010/04/23/for-the-ncaa-tourney-68-is-just-great/


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