And now Lunardi's Field of 96 Projection

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Nevermind, wasn't seeing Northwestern but I found them.
 

I'm pumped ... PUMPED ... about that possible UNLV-Belmont battle. Huge. So glad we're gonna see 96 teams.
 

I hope these "mock 96" fields show the powers that be how ridiculous it is...
 

What a joke.

This is the NCAA basketball version of "everybody in the pool!" I always love it when the powers that be try to fix what isn't broken for the sake of the almighty dollar. :rolleyes:
 


Why mess with what they have? (I know the an$wer, but c'mon, REALLY???) This is fracking ridiculous.
 

I'm sure there will be record setting viewers for some of those first round games. Usually not a good idea to try to fix something that isn't broken. Making it to the NCAA tournament will hardly even be an accomplishment anymore.
 

yep, just turned the best two days of sports in the year, (thurs and fri of the first week, IMO) into a clusterf*** that will no longer be able to captivate the country the way the 64/65 team field always did....
 




Do you realize that the ENTIRE ACC is in this mock tournament? Sheesh, I guess they should just skip conference play altogether.
 

There needs to be a boycott of all conference tournaments (which will essentially become meaningless) and first round games, if not the entire NCAA tournament. They clearly only listen to our wallets.
 

Am I the only one thinking the #1 seed is basically useless? It's more likely that one of the lower seeds will play a #20 something seed in the second round, whereas the #1 seed will play either a #16 or #17 seed regardless. And those seeds are no gimme games. I really have a hard time seeing that great benefit to getting the #1 seed in the 96 team field.
 

#1 seeds

I'm against expansion to 96, but one thing apparent to me is that after the "glorified junk" in the first round, the second round (Round of 64) is likely to be much more competitive. As KyGopherfan pointed out, the top seeds (not just the #1's but also the #2's and #3's) no longer are going to have virtual cakewalks in their first game. The #1 seeds will be playing decent teams, not the dregs (#24's like Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Lehigh, etc.) from the worst leagues.
 




Those first round matchups are stunningly uninspiring. Much worse than I thought they'd be.

Yuck.

Why?
 

How can they look at this on paper and not be completly embarassed at what theyare hoisting on an unwilling public?
 

I have to believe the attendance for the first weekend (already not strong at quite a few sites) is going to be positively brutal. My buddies and I pick a first/second round or regional semis/finals site to attend every year, and I can't imagine the first two rounds will have much appeal to us anymore. There won't be many "neutral" fans willing to fork out more dough (it'll cost more for 1st & 2nd round with 8 games per site instead of 6) if it requires having to sit through the mediocrity they'll call the 1st round.
 

While I agree with the 'it isn't broke, don't fix it' method, I am just in a arguing mode! Possibly pluses: More competitive regular season/conference tournament because you really, really want to get a top 8 seed. I believe most of these games will be played on Monday/Tuesday before the tournament starts, which will make the best week of the tournament that much longer. The true first round games will be much more competitive.

Alright, that is the the three +s I got. Just keep it at 64 and we are good. :)
 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

money talks. the fans suffer. The regular season now becomes nearly as trivial as the NBA regular season. This would blow.
 

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