96 Tears: Stop The Madness

There’s an old cliche that goes something like this  — if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The decision-makers in the NCAA should take that saying to heart.

Cliches are cliches for a reason — because they work. Just like the NCAA basketball tournament.

Yet the NCAA is reportedly exploring the possibility of expanding from the present field of 64 to 96 teams next year.

That makes sense. Yeah right. Take something that’s created an aura and built a mystique around March Madness and change it. Why not eliminate Mother’s Day while we’re at it.

“I don’t like it,” Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said of the 96-team potential. “I’m not going to tell you I’m going to get out of coaching because of it. But I’m more of a traditionalist.

“Now, there’s a mystique, there’s something special about being in the tournament. If  they expanded, that mystique would go away.”

No More NIT
Yes, the mystique would go away, along with the NIT, which despite a long heritage of its own is dead if the NCAA goes through with this plan.

With 96 teams, we’d be left with a tournament with a bunch of byes and 32 extra teams, mainly the leftovers and second-division finishers from the major conferences.

There’d be a bunch of byes to screw up the brackets. With 96 teams, we’d be crying 96 Tears, just like ? & The Mysterians

The NCAA should spend less time worrying about March Madness and more into expanding the utterly laughable BCS football format.

Or else, we’ll be left with a 96-team basketball tournament and a two-team football playoff next year.

Do the math, it doesn’t add up.