|
If the first round of 64 teams is so very exciting (as it seemed to be when this thread was started) even though it is known that about 40 of them have essentially zero chance of winning it all it seems to me another round with even more unworthy teams wouldn't hurt the enjoyment much.
Though for the major conferences I assume this will so expand the opportunities to get into the tournament that it will significantly reduce even further the value of the conference championship tournaments.
I'm not a fan of college basketball (or even professional basketball) so it is moot to me, but since 96 teams only brings post-seasons hopes (27.7% of all possible) onto a parity with the stingier major professional sports leagues (NFL: 25%, MLB: 26.7%; NBA: 53.3%; NHL: 53.3%; MLS: 50%) and we like to pretend that college sports are more amateur and egalitarian than the dirty world of big money professional athletics it seems like a reasonable move to me. But if one doesn't like it, can't one just ignore the first round and start watching when it is again down to 64 teams just as before (and people who hated the expansion to 64 teams can wait until it is 32 to care).
|