In my opinion, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is perfect. The word perfect isn’t a word I throw around lightly, but in this situation, I feel it is fitting.
During football season, college football experts debate the BCS setup for the NCAA football postseason and whether it correctly works or not. However, when the end of basketball season rolls around in the spring, experts debate not the system itself, but which “bubble teams” deserve a bid to the NCAA tournament.
Once the selection committee announces the field, millions of students, co-workers, experts, celebrities and even President Obama fill out their brackets. They narrow it down from 65 teams to one national champion.
Consequently, millions of basketball fans and non-basketball fans alike keep their eyes glued to their televisions and computers (not in class, of course) to see how their picks are doing. Needless to say, America loves March Madness.
Many coaches and NCAA executives are pushing to expand the field from 65 teams to as many as 96 teams. This would give more athletes an opportunity to experience March Madness.
The true driving force behind this is that it would rake in more money for the NCAA, the schools in the tournament and the businesses involved.
It’s an honor to go “dancing” – for many mid-majors, their main goal is to wear their “dancing shoes” at the end of the year. Expanding the tournament would dilute the field with less talented teams and the honor of making the “big dance” would in turn be lessened.
The financial increases from an additional round of games during the tournament would likely be offset by the financial decreases during the regular season and conference tournaments from lower attendance and ratings. After all, if any half-decent team can make it in the expanded tournament, why would fans support their team until March Madness?
“If they [expand the tournament], there will be unintended consequences,” said ESPN analyst Jay Bilas. “The regular season and conference tournaments will be devalued.”
I agree with Bilas. Even though my bracket this year is barely hanging on by its last thread, that’s what I love about the tournament.
Adding teams to the tournament would create a worthless and “upset-absent” first round. I’m all for change, but if I’ve learned anything from my dad’s quirky T-shirts, I know one thing: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
March Madness isn’t broken, so why fix it?