I’ll go ahead and waste my breath here…or at least my energy as I type. I’ve come to the grim conclusion that the best event in all of sports will be ruined within the next few years. It doesn’t matter that 99% of the reaction to a 96 team tournament has been overwhelmingly negative. It’s the NCAA, so stupidity is inevitable.

So, for absolutely new reason, here’s my solution for the NCAA basketball tournament. Unfortunately, it only adds three teams to the field. Forget the fact that there were really only three teams with a gripe this season. It still won’t be enough to satisfy the money hungry NCAA and its attempt to generate more television revenue by creating more inventory. Forget that the extra “inventory” will be watered down and boring…and also forget the complete and utter hypocrisy of an organization that claims to champion the cause of the “student athlete.”

But I digress…here’s what I’ve come up with.

As I figure it, there are rarely more than a couple “bubble” teams have a legitimate gripe after being left out of the NCAA Tournament. To be honest, I don’t really care. Those teams aren’t going to go to the Final Four anyway. But to be fair, let’s go ahead and come up with an expansion plan so that “every kid gets a ribbon.” Seriously, isn’t that where we’re headed anyway?

I say we expand the tourney to 68. This year, that would mean that Mississippi State, Illinois, and Virginia Tech would have probably been the last teams in. Usually, the last teams selected are given 12 seeds. The 13-16 seeds are usually automatic qualifiers from smaller conferences.

My new tournament would create four “opening round games” instead of the one we have currently. The biggest difference would be that it would be the 12 seeds battling it out instead of the 16’s. So-called “bubble teams” would be forced to pay their way in to the field of 64 instead of those teams that have already earned their way in by winning a post-season tournament.

This year, the opening round would appear as follows. The winners would advance to play the #5 seed in each region.


Midwest: #12a New Mexico State vs. #12b Virginia Tech (winner plays #5 Michigan State)

West: #12a UTEP vs. #12b Illinois (winner plays #5 Butler)

East: #12a Cornell vs. #12b Mississippi State (winner plays #5 Wisconsin)

South: #12a Utah State vs. 12b Minnesota (winner plays #5 Texas A&M)

(Note: Minnesota is one of the last four teams in. Their spot is replaced by Arkansas Pine Bluff or Winthrop since they are no longer in the opening round). In essence the last four teams in will match up with the first four teams out in the opening round.


This new organization of the bracket accomplishes two main things.

1. Expands the tournament and rewards additional bubble teams who have played tougher schedules than automatic qualifiers.
2. Creates more interest in the opening round by creating better games.


Honestly, what would you rather watch on the Tuesday before the first round…Arkansas Pine Bluff vs. Winthrop…or a quadruple header that features two Big 10 teams, an ACC team, an SEC team, and four other familiar opponents? It’s an easy choice.

Well, there it is. I know it’s a pipe dream, but it makes sense to me. Too bad, because we’re probably going to end up with a regular season that means nothing, a conference tournament that means even less, and an NCAA tournament that continues to lose its luster with each passing season.

Thank you NCAA for ruining the most perfect thing in sports. I can’t say I’m surprised.