In sports activities, there are many tales that appear to be dug up and refreshed annually. Amongst them is postseason growth and March Insanity is the newest to enter these conversations.
The NCAA’s high canine was a part of the group’s document $1.16 billion haul in 2021 – making up round 85% of the earnings. With that success, the NCAA is reportedly in dialogue about rising the 68-team event. Wherever from 96 to 128-team brackets have been proposed, however all will get the NCAA the one factor they care about: a much bigger slice of pie.
Not solely is growth of the event a criminal offense in opposition to the phrase “if it ain’t broke don’t repair it,” nevertheless it might destroy what makes the event – and the season that leads as much as it – nice already.
Background
Because the money cow of the NCAA, a profitable March is important. The contract that networks CBS and Turner Sports activities have with the NCAA presently runs by way of 2032, and the newest extension to that deal will present the NCAA with an additional $8.8 billion.
It’s an outlandish amount of money till you work that 18.5 million folks considered the 2022 NCAA Males’s Basketball Nationwide Championship. Not solely did 18.5 million folks watch a 72-69 Kansas Jayhawk victory, however they watched adverts scroll throughout the scorer’s desk, an extreme quantity of CapitalOne commercials and a unending stream of selling ploys.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 event was the primary March Insanity with full arenas since 2019. The rebirth of the event not solely handled the networks proper, nevertheless it acquired coaches and the NCAA considering: “What if we gave them extra?”
The Cause to Add
77-year outdated Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim stated that he’s been combating for this growth for 30 years. Baylor head coach Scott Drew stated that his desire could be a full subject of 128 groups. Even SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is on board with analyzing a bigger subject for his soon-to-be 16-team convention.
These speaking heads advocate for extra groups within the event for a couple of causes. The primary is as a result of the present format leaves too many proficient squads out. There are presently 358 groups in faculty basketball and solely 19% get the privilege of competing for a nationwide championship.
The second cause growth has taken off is as a result of some coaches suppose that seeing extra groups concerned and given an opportunity just isn’t solely truthful, however is extra enjoyable for the followers. Final yr’s darlings, the Saint Peter’s Peacocks, grew to become the primary 15-seed to succeed in the Elite Eight. This 3,000-student faculty in New Jersey shortly grew to become a fan-favorite and induced the nation to cheer for David on its path in opposition to a number of Goliaths.
The ultimate essential cause decision-makers are pushing that is a lot quieter, nevertheless it goes with out saying: a bigger event lowers the chances of successful for everybody. Proficient event regulars like Duke are advantageous with including one other recreation, particularly if it makes it tougher on Cinderella to even get to the ball.
The Battle Towards
As a agency believer that the NCAA event is the most effective postseason in all of sports activities, I feel an growth to the event loses the glamor that the common season brings. Moreover, it gained’t remedy the issue of together with all of the worthy groups and is just for the cash.
To begin, in final yr’s March Insanity, Michigan made the sphere regardless of dropping their first recreation within the Large 10 event and ending with a meager 17-14 document. The argument for Michigan was that they performed a tough non-conference schedule and performed in an uber-talented convention. Whereas true, I can’t wait to see the argument for when a sub .500 workforce makes the sphere as a result of they performed laborious groups and took “high quality losses”.
For those who’re the Wolverines, for instance, why schedule any high groups in your non-conference slate? For those who schedule winnable video games and carry out common within the Large 10, you’ve acquired an unimaginable probability to be included in a 128-team subject.
One other level that supporters point out is that increasing the sphere will assist embody all of the groups worthy of postseason rivalry. Whereas awaiting an agreed upon definition of what makes a workforce “worthy,” let me dissect why that downside won’t ever go wherever so long as somebody is consuming on the youngsters’ desk.
Let’s return to the Wolverines right here. Once more, Michigan made the NCAA event final yr with a 17-14 document. The highest seed within the NIT event final yr, the Dayton Flyers, completed the season with a 23-10 document. An elevated event is bound to incorporate each, so whereas the argument between No. 68 and 69 is solved, the No. 128 and 129 battle has simply begun. Till all 358 groups are included, somebody will all the time be sad.
Time to Blow the Whistle
To go in opposition to singer Jessie J in “Value Tag,” it’s truly all concerning the cash. The NCAA is a enterprise, and whereas their enterprise is offering faculty athletes an area to compete and is all the time concerning the “student-athletes,” they should discover methods to earn cash and preserve their product on the high. Changing into stale is one thing that dooms a product, so a stagnant March Insanity subject might give the leaders that impression.
The shot clock must expire on growth talks for the NCAA event. Doing so will save the significance of the common season and can preserve the underside line intact: that solely the most effective of the most effective be part of the insanity.
