NCAA Tournament "First Round"

[AntAltMike]

Originally called the play-in round. I thought that originally, two teams played to be the 64th team in, and then, when the field expanded to 68 teams, I thought that those last eight played for the 16th seed slottings, but this year, there are two teams playing for an 11th seed slot and two others playing for a 13th seeding.

I would expect that teams in considerations for 11th seeding are teams judged by the committee to be anywhere from the 41st to 44th best teams ion the field, and teams vying for 13th seeding must have been adjudged to be in the 49th to 52nd range. So why are teams of that stature required to win seven rounds to win the tournament instead of six?

 

[Teehar]

Originally called the play-in round. I thought that originally, two teams played to be the 64th team in, and then, when the field expanded to 68 teams, I thought that those last eight played for the 16th seed slottings, but this year, there are two teams playing for an 11th seed slot and two others playing for a 13th seeding.

I would expect that teams in considerations for 11th seeding are teams judged by the committee to be anywhere from the 41st to 44th best teams ion the field, and teams vying for 13th seeding must have been adjudged to be in the 49th to 52nd range. So why are teams of that stature required to win seven rounds to win the tournament instead of six?

No idea,I know that last year there were to 16's and two 12's in the first four.The tournament is getting kind of wacky anymore.

 

[TNGTony]

So, instead of having only 8 teams play in the first round, why not 64, or 60 and give #1 of each region a bye? Lots of games, but same number of rounds as now; and it would eliminate the need for the NIT. You know, the long tournament battle to see who's going to be #69.

 

[Teehar]

Don't forget those other 2 college basketball tournaments,the CBI and the college bb insider.

 

[TNGTony]

LOL, I didn't even know they existed. So are they battles to determine who's in 133rd and 198th?

 

[Derwin0]

I would expect that teams in considerations for 11th seeding are teams judged by the committee to be anywhere from the 41st to 44th best teams ion the field, and teams vying for 13th seeding must have been adjudged to be in the 49th to 52nd range. So why are teams of that stature required to win seven rounds to win the tournament instead of six?

Because of how the play-in was structured. They take the 4 lowest automatic bids and 4 lowest at-large bids and send them to Dayton.

As for how the at-larges get seeded in. There are some automatic bids between the 2 teams going for the 11th seeding and the 2 teams going for the 13th seeding. Everyone else lower is an auto-bid.

 

[Mets82]

I had a crazy idea. Mike Francesa of WFAN Radio made a very good point. He said that the tourney should start at noon on Thursday. Why not take "The First Four" games and play them on Thursday as well?

Then the winners play in the second round on Saturday against whoever they are bracketed against.

 

[Mr Tony]

How the heck would that work?

Games are Thursday/Saturday or Friday/Sunday to get down to the Sweet 16. So if you play those 4 games Thursday then the 4 winners would play Saturday in the 2nd round while everyone else is on the 3rd round. They dont want games on Monday

It simply doesnt work. Also 2 games are tonight as those winners play Thursday. The games tomorrow the winners play Friday

 

[Mets82]

Iceberg, I actually realized that last night. I realized that there were flaws. I dont think they could do it this year but why not play the first four at each of Friday's game sites?T
Let me explain a little better:

LIU Brooklyn and James Madison winner is scheduled to play Fri. at 4:10 against Indiana in Dayton. Why not have LIU/JM play on Thursday from Dayton and the winner faces Indiana the next day?

How about Boise St./La Salle play in Kansas City on Thursday and the winner faces Kansas St. on Friday?

So you'd have a First Four game on Thursday in Kansas City, Mo, Dayton, Philadelphia and Austin Tx. Winners play the next day? It doesn't work this year because NC AT&T and St. Mary's are playing tomorrow but I think you get the idea.

 

[hancox]

...because you would get about 500 people at a first 4 game standing on its own, especially the 16/16 ones.

 

[Teehar]

I can recall back in the early 80's,ncaa wanting to expand from 32 to 64 teams.Most of us agreed at that time,that 64 was way too many.Now we are at 68 and it doesn't seem to be enough.Make it an even 80 and give the top seeds byes,that also helps with the bubble teams to an extent.

 

[Ramy]

Plus that would make them play games on back to back days.

 

[Ronnie-]

I can recall back in the early 80's,ncaa wanting to expand from 32 to 64 teams.Most of us agreed at that time,that 64 was way too many.Now we are at 68 and it doesn't seem to be enough.Make it an even 80 and give the top seeds byes,that also helps with the bubble teams to an extent.

I still think 64 is too many.

 

[Mr Tony]

so the whole Buffalo Wild Wings commercial of "256 teams" is way too many?

 

[Mets82]

...because you would get about 500 people at a first 4 game standing on its own, especially the 16/16 ones.

The games on Tuesday stand alone, so I really dont see a difference between playing on Thurs. I dont think the crowds would be any different playing on a Thursday.

Plus that would make them play games on back to back days.

Conference tournaments have teams play back to back games.

 

[Mr Tony]

again it still wont work.....no matter how many times you try and spin it

Right now there are 16 games on Thursday and 16 games on Friday. Throw 4 more games in on Thursday and how would that work for TV or locations? Using your theory you have 4 games that dont have opponents then set on Thursday so you'd have to push them to Friday making it 20 games on Friday. Who would televise it? Each area gets 5 games then? You'd be starting the late game after midnight. As example the late games on CBS tonight are 6:00 & 8:30 Central time. And the 2nd game will start then if the 1st game doesnt go long (there is 1/2 hour between games).....so now your third game at the earliest starts at 11:00 Central. (midnight eastern).

With the sheer amount of games in the 1st rounds (well 2nd & 3rd) you really can't add anymore. Those 4 games on Tuesday & Wednesday are just fine for most viewers. Wets the appetite

 

[Teehar]

Well,it could be done but,it would require byes for top seeds,and games on both Tue,and Wed.

 

[Mets82]

again it still wont work.....no matter how many times you try and spin it

Right now there are 16 games on Thursday and 16 games on Friday. Throw 4 more games in on Thursday and how would that work for TV or locations? Using your theory you have 4 games that dont have opponents then set on Thursday so you'd have to push them to Friday making it 20 games on Friday. Who would televise it? Each area gets 5 games then? You'd be starting the late game after midnight. As example the late games on CBS tonight are 6:00 & 8:30 Central time. And the 2nd game will start then if the 1st game doesnt go long (there is 1/2 hour between games).....so now your third game at the earliest starts at 11:00 Central. (midnight eastern).

With the sheer amount of games in the 1st rounds (well 2nd & 3rd) you really can't add anymore. Those 4 games on Tuesday & Wednesday are just fine for most viewers. Wets the appetite

I dont think I explained well. I'll answer this question by question. You asked how would 4 more games work for tv or locations. I'm saying they can be from the Friday sites. One game from each of the Friday sites.
It wouldnt work fully this year but there are 2 ex. from this year's tournament to show what I mean.
You could have had LIU/James Madison today in Dayton and the winner plays Indiana tomorrow in Dayton. LIU/JM were scheduled to play in Dayton anyway. You have Boise St./La Salle play in Kansas City(like there supposed to tomorrow) today with the winner playing Kansas St. tomorrow.

As far as what time the games start, just have the whip around coverage. Start the first four games at 12:30. Have one at lets say, 12:40, one at 1pm and the latest game would be at 3:30 or 4pm. You have enough networks that you could show those games. Or since some people do not have TruTV or do not know what TruTV is or where its located, just put the games on CBS, TBS or TNT with whip around coverage.

If people say that they might not get the game that they want by having whip around coverage, they still will get there local game.

 

[Mr Tony]

"whip around coverage" SUCKS! and they (the NCAA) wants to get away from that. I like having all the games on TV. Not this "oh we're only gonna give you the full game if its local to you" crap. If a team is down by 40 I want to watch the game if I please

and according to the contract they cant do that
The current contract runs through 2024 and, for the first time in history, provides for the nationwide broadcast each year of all games of the tournament.

The rest boils down to $$$$$$$$$$$. If the NC$$ can make money by getting people to the arena in Dayton (which has held the opening game(s) there since 2001) then more power to them.

 

[Mets82]

I would think that technology is too the point where if you have a local game thats a blowout or maybe featuring a team that you dont like, cant get the games on the internet or Apps or anything else?

Lets say for arguments sake, they do the whip-around coverage. There are still other ways to watch whatever you want?