How Big Should the NCAA Tournament Field Be?

[What Would Jesus Do?]

It's crunch time for bubble teams. There are always winners and losers. It's always contentious. A couple of years back, they added 4 more teams to the mix. So 4 more teams are happy. But that didn't change the angst among the rest one whit.

Is 68 teams the best answer? What do you think?

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I've been a fan of 96 for a while now. The top 32 get a 1 round bye, the bottom 64 play, and then the field down to 64. Just 1 more round. Not even that since there's already a play-in round.

That full load of 64 play-in teams would require an extra play-in day, but so what? What basketball fans - or advertisers, hotels, restaurants, etc. - would object to that?

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Lunardi (who needs to update his brackets as I write this) has a list of what teams are looking bubblish and what they need to do to get or stay alive.

Virginia, Pitt, Wake, Syracuse and Va Tech are on that list.

Men's Bracketology: Duke plus Cooper Flagg makes Blue Devils early overall No. 1

Bracketology begins the off season projections with a familiar name at the top. Duke, led by generational recruit Cooper Flagg, starts our 2024-25 bracket cycle on top.

www.espn.com

 

[DSouthr]

I would use the NIT field of 64 teams that are not ranked in the top 16, play that down to 16 teams to be added to top 16 ranked teams for a total NCAAT field of 32. 64 teams in the NIT + the top 16 ranked teams that go straight to the NCAAT gives us 80 teams with a chance at winning it. Could play a 96 team NIT to get down to a final NIT group of 16 by playing 3 NIT games so 128 of them have a shot.

Right now the NIT has little real value, this would give it solid value and shorten the NCAAT by a game.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I would use the NIT field of 64 teams that are not ranked in the top 16, play that down to 16 teams to be added to top 16 ranked teams for a total NCAAT field of 32. 64 teams in the NIT + the top 16 ranked teams that go straight to the NCAAT gives us 80 teams with a chance at winning it. Could play a 96 team NIT to get down to a final NIT group of 16 by playing 3 NIT games so 128 of them have a shot.

Right now the NIT has little real value, this would give it solid value and shorten the NCAAT by a game.

I kinda like the 96 team NIT version. More teams get to play, in total, but they don't get to claim they're NCAAT caliber unless they earn their way there.

Would have included your 80 team version in the poll if I had thought of it.

 

[UNC-75]

I say 64. If you get many more in it would diminish the regular season too much. If you can’t break the top 60 you have zero chance of winning it all. You can only deny a team you upset along the way that was deserving of their position.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I say 64. If you get many more in it would diminish the regular season too much. If you can’t break the top 60 you have zero chance of winning it all. You can only deny a team you upset along the way that was deserving of their position.

I get what you're saying but to me they got what they deserved by getting a higher seed. If they get upset, that's a shame, but it's just basketball.