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Originally Posted by scaeagles
First, they don't want to have to make the tough decisions as far as leaving out a Rhode Island or a Florida and making those controversial decisions.
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Except that all it does is shift that decision, it doesn't eliminate it. There is still a dividing line and controversial decisions will still have to be made. I suppose the schools left out will be incrementally smaller and less talented than before, but I don't see it as being any less of an issue.
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Secondly, they want ticket revenue. The money this event takes in in mind boggling. In 1990, I went to the first and second round games in Tuscon at the University of Arizona, and the price was $45 for decent seats. Same set of tix now (well, last time I checked was a coupleyears ago) was over $200.
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And I suppose, taking the more positive spin, it will help more, smaller, schools get in on some of that revenue
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Also, this allows those they deem as the top 32 to essentially get a first round bye and forces the mid majors to play an extra game, most likely on the Monday or Tuesday before the first game, giving their coaching staff less time to focus on how to beat the higher seeds.
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But this isn't even a problem worth the effort of solving. I was looking and since the '85 expansion, only 7 teams ranked lower than 5th have even made it to the Final Four. Admittedly, IF they do make it to the Final Four, they then have pretty good odds. Of those 7, 4 made it to the championship game, and 2 of those won. And the lowest seed to have won the championship was a #8. It's hardly like major teams have been consistently edged out by mids.