Just what we needed - another postseason tournament

[ShockTalk]

Totally agree with you Doc. However, I'm starting to feel a strange squeezing experience. It's bad enough that the stronger Mid-Major conferences get pushed out of the Big Dance. Now, those same strong Mid-Major conferences have teams that won't qualify "record-wise" for this tourney, eventhough they are very likely better teams than many teams that do "qualify".

[calfan]

I don't like it. It cheapens playing in postseason and it gives the guys who want to stack the NCAA Tourney with the BCS conferences one more excuse to get rid of all the little guys. Let's stick them (Non- BCS schools) in this tourney and not in the NCAA tourney. Last, what about the "student athletes" and taking them away from "class study time"?

[proshox]

This is a good thing for teams in rebuilding mode (especially since they will be playing relative competition rather then getting throttled by a top 50 team or better). Tournament settings (quick turn-arounds facing unique styles of play) cannot be simulated and I think the early NIT games Turg got were huge in the development of his program (remember the first year we were a questionable inclusion).

[WSUwatcher]

Answer

One question that comes to mind is that...with an increasing number of smaller post-season tournaments, how long until non-bcs teams are shut out of the NCAAs all together?

That's easy, rZ: Never.

Even in football they aren't shut out of the big games, as Alabama learned to its dismay when it wasn't ready to play Utah in the Sugar Bowl. And the reason D-I football has its unique non-playoff format is simply because the current system generates a ton of money.

With basketball, the NCAA tournament as it now stands also generates a ton of money, and it won't be changed for the same reason. There will be no attempts to do anything that might kill NCAA basketball's cash cow.

[Shox151]

Hey maybe this is finally a tournament that Gary Williams can lead the Terps to at least the second round...or maybe not

[ShockerFever]

This is just getting stupid.

All about the $$$.

I can't wait to see the stellar teams selected for this one. I may not sleep until this day arrives.

[WuDrWu]

Totally agree with you Doc. However, I'm starting to feel a strange squeezing experience. It's bad enough that the stronger Mid-Major conferences get pushed out of the Big Dance. Now, those same strong Mid-Major conferences have teams that won't qualify "record-wise" for this tourney, eventhough they are very likely better teams than many teams that do "qualify".

Agree for all the things you and calfan said. I believe we are going to see an expansion of the playin game soon which will limit the impact of the smaller conferences and thereby allow the powers to include more mediocre BCS schools. Later they'll just do it again until eventually......you'll have an FSC for the rest of us.

[vancedave56]

Too many teams already "pad" their schedules with cupcake games...if one of the criteria are finishing over .500 overall - the teams with cupcake out of conference schedules will send more...now, if it is over .500 in your conference games - it gives the non BCS schools a better chance.

[60Shock]

At first I was basically against another post season tournament, but after reading some of the shockernet comments, there would be some value to it for a few schools as some of you pointed out.

I didn't see anything mentioned about any TV coverage whatsoever of these games? Probably at best, maybe in the championship game. Without it, how does a tournament like this generate enough money to even come close to making ends meet?

No doubt, WSU drawing upwards of 8-10,000 of our dedicated fans at home would pay our way, but we are a rare exception. I just have a serious doubt that there are enough other schools out there in the 114 -130 rankings that would draw well playing in the country's 4th level post season tournament.

[ShoxFan963]

This could be beneficial to mid-major teams like wsu. No doubt, recruits seeing our fan base on national tv would get some interest, and everyone could use some cash. :D

But, as an average fan, not many would want to waste a saturday watching two average teams playing an average game.

[ShockerFever]

I don't remember finding any of the CBI games on TV last year, not like I was looking for them anyways though..

A tournament like this for us is like the NIT for BCS schools. It just doesn't mean anything. It's pointless. It's just another way for somebody else to make a few extra bucks.

If I've added everything up right, this tournament would make nearly half of Division I able to participate in a post-season tournament? Talk about a being a watered-down Coke.

No thanks.. :roll: