NCAAB Automatic Bid Proposal.

[tabascojet]

March Madness: Holy Cross makes history with First Four win

 

[trojanfan12]

This pertains mostly to the 1-bid conferences, but can apply to all. If a team wins the conference regular season title outright they get the auto bid to the NCAA's and are exempt from the conference tourney. The remaining teams in the conference tourney play for an NIT bid or perhaps an NCAA at-large. If they don't win it outright then they must play in the conference tourney and try to get in that way. This is a compromise from my proposal of the past, but we do get conferences with 2, 3, and sometimes a 4-way champion. This would increase the number of deserving teams. No 12-18 teams would be in the Big Dance...EVER. Here are the teams that would qualify for the automatic bid thus far:

America East--Stony Brook (23-6, 14-2)
Atlantic Sun--No Florida (20-10, 10-4)
Big East--Villanova (26-4, 15-2)
Big Ten--Indiana (24-6, 14-3)
Big XII--Kansas (26-4, 14-3)
C-USA--UAB (24-5, 14-2)
Horizon League--Valpo (26-5, 16-2)
MAAC--Monmouth (25-6, 17-3)
MAC--Akron (23-7, 12-5)
MEAC--Hampton (18-9, 13-2)
MVC--Wichita St (23-7, 16-2)
MWC--San Diego St (22-8, 15-2)
NEC--Wagner (20-9, 13-5)
OVC--Belmont (20-10, 12-4)
Patriot League--Bucknell (17-12, 14-4)
Southern--Chattanooga (26-5, 15-3)
Southland--Stephen F Austin (23-5, 16-0)
SWAC--Texas Southern (16-12, 15-1)
Sun Belt--Little Rock (27-3, 17-2)
WAC--New Mexico St (21-9, 12-1)

I agree in principle, but I'm not sure I agree that anything needs to be changed. I've never liked the idea that a team can win their conference title, but lose in the conference tournament and get left out. Conference championships should mean something more than just a nice banner. I follow UC Irvine's basketball team a bit because my Dad graduated from there and it's been frustrating a couple of times to see them win the Big West and then not get to go to the NCAA tourney because they lost in the Big West Tournament.

On the other hand, we've seen some teams from the smaller conferences get on a run in their conference tournament and continue it in the NCAA tournament, which is a big part of why we love March Madness.

 

[Olyduck]

Na Oregon went from at least a 3/ probable 2 up to the 1 with their regular season and tourney championships

 

[uncfan103]

Outright regular season champions would be exempt from playing in the conference tournament. It's not a 'you're not allowed to play' situation. It's not a punishment, it's a reward. They've already proven they're the best team in the conference and deserve the automatic bid to the NCAA's. The bottom line of these conference tournaments is just to make money. We all know that. I find it anticlimactic when a deserving team gets upset and some fluke of a team that finished in the middle of the pack or in last place wins 3-4 games in a row. I just want to see a 68-team tournament with the most deserving teams. Austin Peay ain't one of them. Keep in mind, I didn't say the 68 best. I said the 68 most deserving.

Factually incorrect.

 

[tducey]

Meh, keep it the way it is, there are 68 teams in the tourney now so if a team below .500 gets in have them get a low seed.