In an effort to line their pockets at the cost of exciting competition, the NCAA is planning to expand both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments from 64 to 76 teams starting next year. Effectively replacing the First Four, an additional eight at-large teams will join the fray, with the initial round of twelve games playing Tuesday and Wednesday following Selection Sunday and the winners slotting into the familiar brackets that we all know and love.
The makeup of the twelve games will be split 50/50. The first half will be comprised of all 16-seeds and half of the 15-seeds. The other half of the games will be a mix, depending on the quality of the teams in the field, comprised of 11-seeds, all 12-seeds and, potentially a game that will feed a 13-seed for the first round that follows on Thursday or Friday.
Along with expanded brackets comes expanded advertising partnerships to make the whole thing worthwhile. Beer and alcohol companies, who have not been allowed to advertise during the tournament previously, are expected to be added to the fold and drive the financial aspects of this expansion. Gambling-related advertisements are still expected to be banned.
With Purdue’s loss to Arizona in the Elite Eight, my brackets, and my remaining interest in this tournament, are officially toast.
Maybe it is personal bias, but I am expecting big things from the two Big Ten teams in this bracket, including one making their way to the Final Four.
Purdue followed up a disappointing end to the regular season with a spirited run through the Big Ten Tournament to capture the championship. Are they fixed? Well, I hope so since I have them coming out of this region and heading to Indy.