NCAA To Possibly Expand Big Dance To 68: Will Committe Get It Right?

The NCAA Men's Basketball Committee passed a unanimous proposal to expand the NCAA tournament to 68 teams beginning as early as next season.

Now the proposal goes to the Board of Directors for a vote on April 29.

The committee also announced that the NCAA tournament will now broadcast every game live on CBS and Turner. The deal, worth $10.8 billion and valid 2011-2024, would for the first time show every game on four national networks.

Such an expansion sounds promising, but will the committee get it right?

One would assume that by adding only three teams to the tournament, the NCAA committee expects to play four play-in games into each of the regions. Who will be playing in these games? Will it still be Alabama State and Winthrop vying for a chance to take on Duke?

Let's hope not.

If the NCAA really wants to make those four play-in games not only watchable, but also entertaining, let's kick out the SWAC and Big South winners of the play-in games and  mark them directly as 16 seeds.

After all, they've won their respective conferences and have earned the right to play against the big boys, not just against each other.

Another suggestion—the play-in game determines the number 11 seed in the tournament, and those last four in and last four out go head-to-head for a spot in the "Big Dance. " Would you rather see the SWAC/Big South champions go head-to-head or Mississippi State take on Virginia Tech for a spot in the tournament?

Exactly.

Judging by past behavior, the Committee has rarely gotten it all right, but with the decision to go to 68 teams rather than 96, are things finally changing for the better?