The Ncaa Tournament Play-In Game is Not Fair to Anyone

Why did the NCAA Tournament Group choose to include a 65th team? The answer is simple, a new conference was made. That is fine, it makes more revenue as you can both allow additional teams to go to Division I or whatever I am supposed to call it now and you can lower other conference’s size to make the new conference. This can boost per teach revenue share. As you know, all conference champions (typically determined by the conference tournament) get an involuntary bid to the huge dance.

But if a further involuntary bid is given out, that means one less at-large bid. This wouldn’t be a problem except one thing: the at-large bids go to the huge conferences, the ACCs, the Huge XIIs, the SECs. We can’t allow those guys to miss out on any revenue, mainly if we are giving it to a small unknown conference. This is the greed that made the play-in game.

The only thing more displeasing than the play-in game is how they select the teams who play in it. They literally pick the teams the group feels are the 64th and 65th best (the worst) teams in the tournament, even if they got an involuntary bid. This is incorrect on so many levels. First, they did what each and every at-large team tried to do, won an involuntary bid. Every release at-large team was picked eventhough they are coming off a loss, not a conference champion with an involuntary bid, they are coming off at least a couple consecutive wins.

Second, look at 2010 Winthrop’s tournament resume: 19-14, under 62 points per game, only one player averaging double numeral points and he is averaging 10.1. They are not impressive. I am telling you this to tell you this: They are in so they deserve that once-in-a-lifetime shot at the huge boys. If they are the 65th best team, give them their moment against the Kansas Jayhawks.

Plus, Arkansas-Pine Bluff has technically won a tournament game. Is that honest? If a coach from Arkansas Pine-Bluff has an NCAA tournament victory under his belt that should probably be a huge deal, but alas it is not.

Is there any logical reason the play-in game (if it must exist to produce revenue for the huge conferences) shouldn’t be the last two at-large teams playing each other? That would be the definition of a “play-in” game to see who makes the tournament because the other teams earned the right to play. But of course that would quickly knock out a team from a major conference.

Give David his shot at Goliath, he earned it.

Tags: Anyone, Arkansas Pine Bluff, Big Boys, Conference Champion, Conferences, Fair, Game, Game Fair, Game Player, Greed, Kansas Jayhawks, Lifetime, NCAA, Ncaa Tournament, Play Game, PlayIn, Revenue Share, Secs, Those Guys, tournament, Tournament Committee, Tournament Game, Tournament Victory, Unknown Conference, Winthrop

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