How do you make a bracket for a 346-team NCAA competition?
No one got to play in the 2020 competition. Because when is there such a thing as too much competition basketball? As someone who covered the Indiana high school basketball tournament when it was a single-class free-for-all with every school in the state welcomed, I champion the populist appeal of this plan. The vast bulk never ever smelled a state title, however all tournament wins were valued by the little guys.
What about the bracket?
This is not a glib concern. There are glib responses– utilize the side of the Empire State Building, paint it on Devils Tower, transform drive-in movie screens– however its a severe concern. How do you make a bracket for a 346-team NCAA tournament?
The tip to broaden the Big Dance to infinity and beyond came out of the Atlantic Coast Conference on Wednesday. The proposition: Every qualified Division I guyss team gets a bid in 2021, with the opening rounds taking the location of conference-championship tourneys and early-round bracketing based on geography. By the 2nd week, the tourney would look quite much like normal: 64 to 68 groups.
All 15 ACC guyss basketball coaches in the countrys leading conference validated it. The league office lags it as well. Well see how much support this logistical clusterbomb of an idea can amass nationally.
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
First things initially: This has to be bracketizable. The countless casual fans who gravitate to March Madness to select winners by means of a tree diagram can not be discounted. Every workplace, every bar, every school and every barber shop requires a bracket that fits on a computer screen and/or a sheet of printer paper.
They can tinker every other element of the competition– return to peach baskets, whatever– however do not mess with the bracket. Thats nonnegotiable.
Lets see what they come up with. A lot of people dislike the idea.
At least, the sentiment behind it is admirable:
Nobody got to play in the 2020 competition. This time around, lets provide everybody a possibility to experience the happiness of March that went missing out on last spring. And no, this isnt a Participation Trophy Syndrome circumstance: Its been a hellish year for college athletes; why not look for methods to make their experience better?
Gamers considering choosing out have some incentive to see the season through.
As Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski put it: “This is not a regular season. It is clearly an irregular season that will need something various. Our sport requires to be innovative and agile.” This year is going to be a tub of live bait, so why attempt to use the regular tournament selection rules when they may not apply? If nonconference video games disappear and scheduling is dictated by health protocol more than competitiveness, how is a choice committee supposed to decide who is in and who is out?
As noted above, this figures to be a wreck of a season from November( ish) through February. College basketball need to put all its eggs in the March basket and attempt to make sure the signature event is a success.
College basketball leaders are attempting to both think ahead and think collaboratively, 2 things noticeably missing from the Great Dithering Summer of College Football. For all the conference and school athletic leaders who talked about having “18– 20 designs” for how to run a season, that eventually became a hollow boast as we reached August. NCAA vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt has been networking with schools nationwide to come up with season plans that work for the greater good, and creativity has been accepted.
Since when is there such a thing as too much tournament basketball? Dont talk to me about cheapening the regular season– have you see TV ratings for those video games in current years?
Now, moving previous belief to logistics is where it gets hard. Most likely difficult, truly.
Initially, the U.S. needs to be in a better location in regards to the coronavirus by March. Every other sport in the nation is contracting its scope, for excellent reason. Nobody is validating a massive growth of the NCAA tourney without major development in terms of health and wellness over where we stand today.
Second, this sort of thing would presumably be a major uptick in cost, without a commensurate bump in TV revenue. Perhaps the TV rights holders would kick in some modest extra money, but theyre not going to open the vault to televise Dukes whipping Maryland– Eastern Shore, Michigan States whipping Chicago State, Kentuckys whipping Kennesaw State and Gonzagas beating Cal Poly by 60.
Third, have I discussed the bracket?
Its early for there to be tears of delight in the basketball workplaces at William & & Mary and Army, 2 of the schools that have actually never made an NCAA tournament bid. Your totally free pass may not arrive.
Nor need to coaches on the hot seat invest money to remodel their houses. Your legal tourney bonus and boosted job security might pass away in a committee space in the near future.
As someone who covered the Indiana high school basketball tournament when it was a single-class free-for-all with every school in the state invited, I champion the populist appeal of this plan. The huge bulk never ever smelled a state title, but all competition wins were cherished by the little guys.
If a 346-team NCAA tournament can release the same ambiance, thats not a bad thing. After a devastating year without it in 2020, who can ever complain about having excessive March Madness?
More Hoops Coverage From SI.com Team Sites:
ESPNs Joe Lunardi Says All-In NCAA Tourney Plan Wont Work NC States Keatts Backs ACCs NCAA Tournament ProposalDuke Freshman Coleman to Coach K: Were a Different Group of Guys
