Coaches Support Tournament Expansion: The NCAA Tournament could become a much larger event if the NCAA seriously considers some proposals put forth by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Because many colleges — especially in elite conferences — evaluate their coaches’ success based on tournament appearances, NCAA Tournament expansion could give coaches more time to rebuild a previously struggling program.
The NABC has several arguments to support expansion, including the large increase in the number of Division I teams since the tournament last significantly expanded in 1985. The association also argues that parity is a real phenomenon, proven by George Mason’s run to the Final Four as a No. 11 seed this year. It also believes that because the NCAA owns both the NCAA Tournament and NIT, it should consider adding some of the bubble teams that complain about their omission and sometimes refuse to play in the NIT in protest.
The NCAA counters those points by saying that many people consider the tournament to be a perfect structure already. Officials add that they can’t work in a vacuum — any expansion to the men’s tournament would likely necessitate a similar expansion to the women’s tournament. Expansion would also lengthen the time of the NCAA Tournament, forcing changes to the TV contracts and host site arrangements. So don’t look for expansion any time soon, probably not until the next decade, at earliest. [6/26/06]
