Expanding the NCAA Tourny is a bad idea

I'm all for bringing great sporting events to a larger market, but expanding the NCAA basketball tournament from 64 teams to 96 isn't March Madness, it's March Insanity.

If this were for the sake of welcoming 32 extra teams with legitimate chances to advance to the final four, it would be a-ok with me, but it's not. This is about putting money in the pockets of the NCAA and its member leagues.

There is no way, let me repeat that, NO WAY, that the 65th ranked team, 80th ranked team, or the 96th ranked team will EVER win the NCAA tournament. When it truly comes down to it, the best teams are in contention every single year, and the rest are left in the dust.

This year, just as in any other year, it will likely be one of the top 10 teams entering the tournament that walks away with a National Championship. Even more likely, it will be one of the top four teams, Syracuse, Kentucky, Kansas, or Duke that wins.

If there were an ounce of logic behind expanding the tournament for competitive or even developmental reasons, I would be on board with this, but there isn't. The NIT tournament has been created for teams that aren't able to crack the top 64, and that is where these teams belong.

Expanding the NCAA tournament to 96 teams would be ridiculous. It would dilute the pool, add additional length to an already substantial tournament, would make the regular season almost meaningless, and create games that the average fan would be less than interested in watching. I don't want to see a blowout in the NCAA tournament, I want to see Cinderella teams with a legitimate chance to win a game.

That is what makes it March Madness. The NCAA should learn not to mess with a good thing. The NCAA tournament is popular for a reason and needs to be left just the way it is. What would we even call it? Sweet 16, Final Four, Numbing 96?

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