The NCAA announced changes to how the First Four games will be decided.

It was announced on Monday that the Division I selection committee will now be allowed to slide every team up or down the seed list, including the last four at-large teams selected. Until now, the last four teams voted into the tournament field were locked into the First Four, the eight-team playoff that serves as the tournament's first round.

Also, a change that should help the #2 seeds, the NCAA will have the flexibility to place the weakest #1 seed in the same bracket as the strongest #2 seed and so on up to the actual top #1 playing in the same bracket as the weakest #2, if it helps scheduling.


More on the story here:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketba...on-process

what does "helps scheduling" mean?

They will no longer be locked in to a "hard" schedule with the #2 seeds. The 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th rated teams ( #2 Seeds) were locked in to a site.

Now, if say the Top #1 and Top #2 seeds are both from the same conference, the two seed can be moved around to ease scheduling.
At least, that is how I read it.

so you think "ease" means "avoid conference match ups"?

got it.

Yeah. Truth is, it's just a lot of words to say that they're going to let the committee do what they want in the bracketing room.

There had been rumors circulating around for a few weeks, that they were going to make all eight Tuesday Teams be At-Large teams, but, that really was just a rumor. Just wishful thinking. The power leagues weren't going to change that, even if it DID make sense to allow the lower conference champions to feel more a part of the big Tournament by ALL of them getting their heads beat in on Thursday and Friday, instead of just a couple. (Yes, I know, their conferences DO get an extra NCAA share for that Tuesday win.)

Too bad, though.