Expanding the NCAA men’s basketball tournament has become a hot-button issue over the past weeks as the NCAA investigates the possibility of expanding the 65-team tournament.
On Monday, MSU head coach Rick Stansbury expressed his support for expanding the tournament, saying the increasing number of teams on the NCAA Division I level should lead to an increase in the number of teams in the tournament.
“You think about the amount of teams that have joined since 1985 [when the tournament expanded to 64 teams], and not to be able to expand the field, it’s not right,” Stansbury said. “We need to expand it.”
A look at the numbers backs up Stansbury’s argument. When the NCAA tournament field expanded to 64 teams there were 282 teams in Division I basketball. In the past 25 years the number of teams in Division I has increased to 347, while the tournament has only expanded by one team. (A “play-in” game was added in 2001.)
NCAA senior vice president Greg Shaheen, who oversees the NCAA tournament, acknowledged the possibility of expanding the tournament, but told foxsports.com earlier this week that nothing is certain.
“Nothing is a done deal,” Shaheen said. “We’re talking with parties who have interest.”
The parties of interest mentioned by Shaheen include CBS, who signed a $6 billion contract to obtain exclusive rights to broadcast the tournament in 1999.
The contract runs through 2013, but the NCAA can opt out of the deal after this season.
Another key expiring contract in this scenario is the agreement between the NCAA and the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The NIT’s contract expires at the end of this season, which opens the possibility of expanding the tournament to 96 teams.
If the NCAA does opt out of the deal with CBS and expand the tournament, it is likely that the NIT would no longer be played and 31 of the 32 teams would then be in the NCAA tournament, expanding the field to 96.
Another argument Stansbury makes in favor of expanding the tournament is the low percentage of Division I teams that play in the tournament. With 65 teams participating, 18.7 percent of Division I teams make it to the tournament, while in college football, 68 of the 120 (56.6 percent) FBS teams play in bowl games. Stansbury said it is unfair that the number of bowls has expanded to meet the number of teams, but the NCAA tournament has remained the same.
“How many bowl games have been added over the last 10 years?” Stansbury asked. “A bunch. Basketball hasn’t [expanded].”
A chief concern among executives at CBS, and ESPN (who is expected to bid on the rights to the tournament), is what effect it will have on college basketball fans who watch the tournament. One of the main arguments against expanding the tournament is that fans will lose interest in a “watered-down” tournament.
Dylan White, junior international business major and avid basketball fan, said he would enjoy watching more games, but it would make the tournament less distinguished.
“I’m in favor of it because it gives me more games to watch during March Madness and gives more teams an opportunity in the post season,” White said. “However, it kind of makes it less prestigious, and the adding of games could clutter things and water it down.”
Sophomore communication major Daniel Rhea said he would like to see the tournament expanded because it would increase the possibility of deep tournament runs by unexpected teams.
“I’d rather it have 96 because it gives worse teams that much of a chance to actually reach the finals,” Rhea said. “I’m one of those people that likes to see upsets in the tournament: the more the teams the better.”
When asked about the logistics of having 96 teams in the tournament, Stansbury said he would “let those people in TV handle it.”
While it remains to be seen whether or not the tournament will expand, Stansbury said he thinks expanding the big dance is a no brainer.
“We’ve had an opinion for years and nobody wants to listen to it. That’s an easy decision,” Stansbury said.