I've posted thoughts on how to make the regular season important if the NCAA bulls forward to adopting a 96 team format for the tournament. http://beltboard.com/?p=379
Nice article. I hope the NCAA doesn't go forward with this. The 65 team tournament is perfect. I don't see why they want to water it down. Well of course $... but I just hate this idea of 96 teams. We have 65 in the NCAA, then 32 in the NIT... We do not need more teams playing. I hope they leave well enough alone.
(This post was last modified: 03-12-2010 10:51 AM by SkullyMaroo.)
I'm with you. As I had noted in a prior posting linked in that post, you can make more money with 65 by changing how you do the first round. Instead of playing it Thursday/Friday, stretch it Thursday-Sunday so there are fewer games played during work hours and fewer games played at the same time. Add a week without adding teams. More money without hurting regular season.
The problem is you have the following supporters of expansion.
1. NCAA wants to increase the field so they quit dealing with the NIT and more money comes in to fund the home office.
2. A lot of coaches want it. Few schools fire coaches going to the tournament. 31 more spots means mediocre performance in the bigger leagues is rewarded with job security.
3. Some AD's want it because an NCAA appearance makes it easier to sell tickets and solicit donations.
4. Some (many?) presidents want it because it makes it easier for the team make it so fans won't be so troublesome and it opens the experience to more players.
I hope the NCAA does not go forward with the expansion to 96 teams. It would end my basketball pleasure in February. It would be the all mighty dollar destroying yet one more thing I enjoy/ed.
I don't watch the pro sports very much(NBA/NFL/MLB) anymore. Well outside the occasional game. And the honest truth is MLB gets a look because it's the only sport going after a certain point in the summer and there are no collegiate athletics to be viewed in my area. But hopefully I am busier outside and the tube stays off.
Further more, I don't watch NCAA football after the regular season has been decided. I'll catch the highlights of the championship game, but don't watch it. I hate the current bowl system with a passion. corporate crap and i hate it.
Somethings have been made right.
I love the ncaa baseball format..it's just a shame that there isn't more coverage and the season so short and a good portion of the regular season in the cold. I also like the postseason format.
The current format with the basketball tourney is close to right, but 64 was right. When the people telling you it needs fixing are saying there's money on the table(the corporate citizens and coaches)... and the people who are paying the gate fees say it's worth my hard earned dough the way it is.. then leave the darn thing alone.
Watching the local news, seeing the huge amounts of $EC fans pouring into downtown Nashville for the men's tourney, many without tickets, leaves me wishing we could in the SBC have at least 1/10 of that excitement and exposure.
(03-12-2010 12:43 PM)KAjunRaider Wrote: Watching the local news, seeing the huge amounts of $EC fans pouring into downtown Nashville for the men's tourney, many without tickets, leaves me wishing we could in the SBC have at least 1/10 of that excitement and exposure.
Jealousy, I guess, on my part.
It just makes me think about all the people i work with that wipe UK's arse. And 95% of them didn't go to the university and I'd say most of which have never taken the drive to even see the campus.
Yes I know at least 20 peeps who are in nashvegas right now trying to wipe Calipari and his band of thugs arse.
Plus outside of UK and UT, vandy sometimes... the league is mediocre in basketball. For a BCS conference it's pretty crappy to watch. Only one BBall big sixer is worse and its by a long shot. Pac 10 abysmal.
And yes I'm jealous the SBC didn't get more love.
(This post was last modified: 03-12-2010 01:13 PM by theOzone.)
(03-12-2010 12:43 PM)KAjunRaider Wrote: Watching the local news, seeing the huge amounts of $EC fans pouring into downtown Nashville for the men's tourney, many without tickets, leaves me wishing we could in the SBC have at least 1/10 of that excitement and exposure.
Jealousy, I guess, on my part.
It just makes me think about all the people i work with that wipe UK's arse. And 95% of them didn't go to the university and I'd say most of which have never taken the drive to even see the campus.
Yes I know at least 20 peeps who are in nashvegas right now trying to wipe Calipari and his band of thugs arse.
Plus outside of UK and UT, vandy sometimes... the league is mediocre in basketball. For a BCS conference it's pretty crappy to watch. Only one BBall big sixer is worse and its by a long shot. Pac 10 abysmal.
And yes I'm jealous the SBC didn't get more love.
You could substitute Alabama, Saban, et al and fit right in with our crowd. Same thing here, even prior to their NC. Hell, I think most of UA's followers have never been to college period, nonetheless actually UA. Drives me nuts.
I am one of those people you all are hating on right now.
I did NOT attend FAU.
I attended Northwood University in West Palm Beach. I played Baseball there for 2 years in the NAIA.
For years I was a UM fan because I grew up in South Florida and the Canes were THE team down here right in the middle of my formative years. I followed them all the way up until about 2002 or so, right after FAU started football.
Now, WHY am I an FAU fan?
I cant give you one reason. It’s a combination of things. I now live in Boca and my family has been involved in the community of Boca Raton for decades. My wife graduated FAU class of 1997. She was excited about the new team when announced. I was apathetic. I said I’d go to games with her, partially because I knew of Howard Schenllenberger’s time at UM and I wanted to see the guy who MADE Miami what it is today. I also happen to like college football and the chance to see it live on a weekly basis without travelling far seemed great. (Yes, I understand the irony that over 10 years later I STILL have to travel far to see FAU play football,)
Guess what, I fell in love with the program. Watching it live again brought back all the memories I had watching UM play. I started to follow FAU more than UM. I am now a bigger fan of the program then my wife is. I can only name 1 or 2 people on UM’s team and can name everyone of the coach’s on FAU.
Don’t knock too hard those who have “Never even attended <insert big time program here> One of these days some of those people may come around to how YOU see things and become a huge fan.
I get so tired of seeing Troy, MTSU, and all of our Belt schools knocking fans of the big programs who didnt attend it. Let it go already. GROW your product and people might come and watch and then they might fall in love.
I am one of those people you all are hating on right now.
I did NOT attend FAU.
I attended Northwood University in West Palm Beach. I played Baseball there for 2 years in the NAIA.
For years I was a UM fan because I grew up in South Florida and the Canes were THE team down here right in the middle of my formative years. I followed them all the way up until about 2002 or so, right after FAU started football.
Now, WHY am I an FAU fan?
I cant give you one reason. It’s a combination of things. I now live in Boca and my family has been involved in the community of Boca Raton for decades. My wife graduated FAU class of 1997. She was excited about the new team when announced. I was apathetic. I said I’d go to games with her, partially because I knew of Howard Schenllenberger’s time at UM and I wanted to see the guy who MADE Miami what it is today. I also happen to like college football and the chance to see it live on a weekly basis without travelling far seemed great. (Yes, I understand the irony that over 10 years later I STILL have to travel far to see FAU play football,)
Guess what, I fell in love with the program. Watching it live again brought back all the memories I had watching UM play. I started to follow FAU more than UM. I am now a bigger fan of the program then my wife is. I can only name 1 or 2 people on UM’s team and can name everyone of the coach’s on FAU.
Don’t knock too hard those who have “Never even attended <insert big time program here> One of these days some of those people may come around to how YOU see things and become a huge fan.
I get so tired of seeing Troy, MTSU, and all of our Belt schools knocking fans of the big programs who didnt attend it. Let it go already. GROW your product and people might come and watch and then they might fall in love.
Like I did.
You have way more ties to FAU than the people I am knocking. Some of the people I am knocking only come round when WKU is in the tourney(20 plus tourney appearances and multiple sweet sixteens) and a good deal of those people I am slamming went to western, go to western, or have children at western. They just like to be with whoever is popular.
During the Gillespie years plenty of these Blue-tards put there UK gear away and hid in shame.
It's not about growing the product on this one. WKU may suck from this year on, but it's had plenty of success on the hardwood to attract.
I.E. North Memphis was playing Alabama today..the tears were flowing in the restaurant b/c of how poorly the cats were playing...five peeps I know from my western days. Just makes me sick that they show more emotion from over 3 hours north than in their town and alma mater.
The sort of fan they refer to commonly appears each late January to declare they've always been a fan of [insert either betting or sentimental favorite] and wants them to win the Super Bowl [finally or again].
If the 96-team bracket is emminent, what happens to the 2-tier tourneys? Is that going to disban the NIT? Does anyone care other than the NIT administrators?
NIT is owned by the NCAA now. They'd rather not bother with it. The CIT and CBI are like bowl games, long as someone is willing to pony up the money, they'll be around
(03-15-2010 11:39 AM)arkstfan Wrote: NIT is owned by the NCAA now. They'd rather not bother with it. The CIT and CBI are like bowl games, long as someone is willing to pony up the money, they'll be around
I wonder if the internets had been around back in the day if people would have complained about the expansions of the NCAA tournament?