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The NCAA Tournament will remain at 65 teams for the foreseeable future after the men's basketball committee decided against any kind of expansion at its annual spring meetings this week in Orlando.
A news release is expected to be issued by the NCAA.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches had been pushing to expand the tournament beyond the 65 with a number to be determined. The NABC saw the access to the tournament as one of the reasons to expand, especially in light of the run by mid-majors of late and a few bubble teams not making the field that some coaches were convinced should have been included.
Before the meeting, members of the committee like outgoing chair Craig Littlepage showed little enthusiasm for the proposal. The committee needed to see the great cause to expanding the tournament, how that would occur and in what format.
There also are contractual issues that make expansion a non-issue for years to come. Creating more rounds would alter the postseason dates that would run into other programming on CBS, the network of the championship.
Ultimately, the NCAA views conference tournaments as a way for all teams to have access to the NCAA Tournament. Teams that win conference tournaments (everyone has one now except for the Ivy) get into the field.
Source: ESPN.com
A news release is expected to be issued by the NCAA.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches had been pushing to expand the tournament beyond the 65 with a number to be determined. The NABC saw the access to the tournament as one of the reasons to expand, especially in light of the run by mid-majors of late and a few bubble teams not making the field that some coaches were convinced should have been included.
Before the meeting, members of the committee like outgoing chair Craig Littlepage showed little enthusiasm for the proposal. The committee needed to see the great cause to expanding the tournament, how that would occur and in what format.
There also are contractual issues that make expansion a non-issue for years to come. Creating more rounds would alter the postseason dates that would run into other programming on CBS, the network of the championship.
Ultimately, the NCAA views conference tournaments as a way for all teams to have access to the NCAA Tournament. Teams that win conference tournaments (everyone has one now except for the Ivy) get into the field.
Source: ESPN.com