Anatomy of the Pitt to Big Ten rumor

by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2010 12:00 PM EST in Rocky Top Talking Points

Black Shoe Diaries analyzes the genesis and tweet-enabled growth of yesterday's Pitt-to-Big-Ten rumor.
The Only Colors has the preview of tonight's match up between #5 Michigan State and #16 Wisconsin.
SB Nation's Bracketology is up. There's also a story stream on the possible expansion of the NCAA Tournament to 96 teams.
Shakin the Southland has a primer on the 1-2-1-1 Diamond Press Defense.
Track Em Tigers, on the U.S. Justice Department possibly looking into anti-trust aspects of the BCS.

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a 96 team tournament

is a disaster. i hope this doesn’t happen

by golfballs03 on Feb 2, 2010 12:12 PM EST reply actions

It would

Although I actually liked the idea of giving every conference two auto-bids, one for the regular season and one for the tournament. If expansion has to happen, that’s the best way.

by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 2, 2010 12:41 PM EST up reply actions

agreed!

by golfballs03 on Feb 2, 2010 12:47 PM EST up reply actions

I think 80 teams would be an excellent compromise

that means the top 12 seeds would get a first round bye, which would then allow the low-major tournament champions to play a game they have a shot at winning in the opening rounds.

I do, however, also like the idea of two auto-bids per league

Rocky Top Talk

by Will Shelton on Feb 2, 2010 12:57 PM EST up reply actions

I am obviously in the minority, but I just don’t see this as the sporting apocalypse that everyone seems to fear. I really think this will be seen by the general public as 31 more play-in games, generally ignored by everyone except for the teams involved. Life will go on and we will continue to get excited about the 64 remaining teams when the traditional tournament begins.

Lou Brock loves Lamp.

by birdjam on Feb 2, 2010 1:06 PM EST reply actions

it has bigger implications

this means that the regular season means even less. so the only people watching college basketball during the regular season are the die-hards and alum.

by golfballs03 on Feb 2, 2010 1:12 PM EST up reply actions

See, I don't think so.

People who are college basketball fans don’t watch in February just because the teams involved are on the bubble. They watch because they enjoy the sport. That won’t change if they add 31 play-in games.

Lou Brock loves Lamp.

by birdjam on Feb 2, 2010 1:15 PM EST up reply actions

yeah, they aren't the problem. they will watch regardless

it’s about attracting more viewers. sports whose rating have exploded in the past decade are football, college and pro, and nascar. it’s because they are once a week and each event actually means something. sports whose ratings are falling are pro baseball, hockey, college basketball, because there are so many games, you can watch one any night of the week, and each game doesn’t mean a whole lot in the scheme of things. for the sake of attracting a larger audience, enlarging the tournament field is retroactive

by golfballs03 on Feb 2, 2010 1:28 PM EST up reply actions