Potential March Madness Expansion
March Madness may have more…madness. NCAA President Charlie Baker and the basketball committee have discussed the idea of expanding the tournament from its current 68-team format. One number that has been thrown around is an expansion to 96 teams.
History Of The Field
1939: 8 teams
1951: 16 teams
1975: 32 teams
1985: 64 teams
2011: 68 teams
The possible expansion would mean an additional round of games and allows bubble teams from power conferences to get in.
There have been big names in college basketball who have supported the idea and some people who are against it. Analyst Jay Williams, Miami Hurricanes head coach Jim Larranaga, and former Duke coach and Hall of Famer Coach K are all in favor of the expansion. On the other side, Analyst Jay Bilas and Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo are against the idea.
My Opinion
March Madness is the best event in all of sports and 68 teams is a perfect number. If we were to expand why jump to 96 right away? If anything just add 4 more teams to the play-in and see how that goes. I am not trying to fill out a bracket with 96 teams on 8 pieces of paper glued together. We have the NIT for a reason. Let the bubble teams who didn’t make it play for the NIT while the other 68 teams who deserved to get in play for the national title. I want the best of the best on the court, not Cleveland State or Austin Peay playing Houston in the first round (sorry for the random strays). With 96 teams regular season games and conference games have less meaning which will make me less intrigued to watch.