Source: NCAA presents tournament plans for 72, 76 teams

[NT80]

"Expansion is largely backed by larger conferences, and smaller leagues do not want to lose the automatic bids that come with a conference tournament championship or face the prospect of always being slotted for the play-in games."

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/40394682/source-ncaa-presents-tournament-plans-72-76-teams

 

[SUMG]

9 hours ago, NT80 said:

"Expansion is largely backed by larger conferences, and smaller leagues do not want to lose the automatic bids that come with a conference tournament championship or face the prospect of always being slotted for the play-in games."

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/40394682/source-ncaa-presents-tournament-plans-72-76-teams

 

And let me just predict......those extra 4-8 teams will all be from the P6 conferences. And the future tournaments will have even more P6 teams, that didn't even finish .500 in conference play.

[MrAlien]

If they stick to the NET formula, then let the bubble teams fight it out in the play ins.  Conference champions, even the small ones deserve to go straight to the field of 64.  

[Andrew]

Go back to 64 teams…. Then only have the NIT and make it 64. That’s it. Winner of both get auto bids to the big dance next season. Final four in NIT get auto NIT bid. Make teams play in it. 

[Jonnyeagle]

49 minutes ago, Andrew said:

Go back to 64 teams…. Then only have the NIT and make it 64. That’s it. Winner of both get auto bids to the big dance next season. Final four in NIT get auto NIT bid. Make teams play in it. 

Great idea!

[Green Otaku]

5 hours ago, Andrew said:

Go back to 64 teams…. Then only have the NIT and make it 64. That’s it. Winner of both get auto bids to the big dance next season. Final four in NIT get auto NIT bid. Make teams play in it. 

How would getting in for next year make sense? What if your entire team is different and has a terrible season? You get in in from what a team last year did that isn't around anymore? Why play the season if your already qualified? This makes things too messy.

[Matt from A700]

8 hours ago, SUMG said:

And let me just predict......those extra 4-8 teams will all be from the P6 conferences. And the future tournaments will have even more P6 teams, that didn't even finish .500 in conference play.

There's too much hype for March Madness for the committee to not ultimately add more teams and games, and like you said, most or all of those spots will be given to the shittier P6 teams. But if the lesser tournaments want a full field they'll have to add more G5 teams, but the interest in the NIT, CBI, CIT, etc. will continue to dwindle and be delegated to relegated to FloHoops and CBS Sports Network or at best: ESPN+/streaming only.

[NT80]

1 hour ago, Green Otaku said:

How would getting in for next year make sense? What if your entire team is different and has a terrible season? You get in in from what a team last year did that isn't around anymore? Why play the season if your already qualified? This makes things too messy.

Agree.  In this era of NIL and portal there is no continuity or development on college sports teams anymore.  NT mens basketball lost what, 8 players?

This is a football example, but even Alabama is now a different team each season...

The University of Alabama football team lost 30 players to the transfer portal and 10 to the NFL Draft after the 2023–2024 season:

[NT80]

53 minutes ago, Matt from A700 said:

There's too much hype for March Madness for the committee to not ultimately add more teams and games, and like you said, most or all of those spots will be given to the shittier P6 teams. But if the lesser tournaments want a full field they'll have to add more G5 teams, but the interest in the NIT, CBI, CIT, etc. will continue to dwindle and be delegated to relegated to FloHoops and CBS Sports Network or at best: ESPN+/streaming only.

The NIT has already said in order to stay financially viable and fight off other tournaments, they will change selection to include more "name" power programs.  Programs that will fill arenas with fans, and get more media views.

[Jonnyeagle]

22 minutes ago, NT80 said:

The NIT has already said in order to stay financially viable and fight off other tournaments, they will change selection to include more "name" power programs.  Programs that will fill arenas with fans, and get more media views.

So we’re never gonna dance again?

[NT80]

7 minutes ago, Jonnyeagle said:

So we’re never gonna dance again?

 Be glad we got our Title when we did!!

Men's postseason NIT champions[edit]

Year	Champion	Runner-up	MVP
2024	Seton Hall	Indiana State	Al-Amir Dawes, Seton Hall
2023	North Texas	UAB	Tylor Perry, North Texas
2022	Xavier	Texas A&M	Colby Jones, Xavier
2021	Memphis	Mississippi State	Landers Nolley II, Memphis
2020	No tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019	Texas	Lipscomb	Kerwin Roach, Texas
2018	Penn State	Utah	Lamar Stevens, Penn State
2017	TCU	Georgia Tech	Kenrich Williams, TCU
2016	George Washington	Valparaiso	Tyler Cavanaugh, George Washington
2015	Stanford	Miami (FL)	Chasson Randle, Stanford
2014	Minnesota	SMU	Austin Hollins, Minnesota
2013	Baylor	Iowa	Pierre Jackson, Baylor
2012	Stanford	Minnesota	Aaron Bright, Stanford[64]
2011	Wichita State	Alabama	Graham Hatch, Wichita State
2010	Dayton	North Carolina	Chris Johnson, Dayton
2009	Penn State	Baylor	Jamelle Cornley, Penn State

[Matt from A700]

3 hours ago, NT80 said:

The NIT has already said in order to stay financially viable and fight off other tournaments, they will change selection to include more "name" power programs.  Programs that will fill arenas with fans, and get more media views.

If so many P6 programs declined NIT invites when they weren't included in a 68-team NCAA Tournament field, I don't see that changing when they're left out of a 72-80-team field. Plus there's a new Vegas-based postseason tournament that has also said they want to focus on the "best of the rest" in the P6.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

44 minutes ago, Matt from A700 said:

If so many P6 programs declined NIT invites when they weren't included in a 68-team NCAA Tournament field, I don't see that changing when they're left out of a 72-80-team field. Plus there's a new Vegas-based postseason tournament that has also said they want to focus on the "best of the rest" in the P6.

The obvious result of this will end with standard will be dropped for the major programs. .500 overall teams might start getting in. The media will spin it and yak about their "daunting schedule" and so forth and so on. It will all be normalized, just like the 12 team cfb playoff. It's all for them. 

[NT80]

1 hour ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

The obvious result of this will end with standard will be dropped for the major programs. .500 overall teams might start getting in. The media will spin it and yak about their "daunting schedule" and so forth and so on. It will all be normalized, just like the 12 team cfb playoff. It's all for them. 

NCAA Announced Major Changes to the NIT and the College Hoops World Is Not Happy

• PATRICK ANDRES
• OCT 27, 2023

In 2024, that will change. The field will now guarantee berths to 12 teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, Pac-12 and SEC regardless of record, and will extend no such courtesy to low-major regular-season champions.

https://www.si.com/college/2023/10/27/ncaa-announces-changes-nit-college-hoops-fans-upset

Edited June 22 by NT80

[NT80]

1 hour ago, Matt from A700 said:

If so many P6 programs declined NIT invites when they weren't included in a 68-team NCAA Tournament field, I don't see that changing when they're left out of a 72-80-team field. Plus there's a new Vegas-based postseason tournament that has also said they want to focus on the "best of the rest" in the P6.

The recent changes to the postseason NIT were made in direct response to a new postseason tournament expected to begin as early as 2025, leaving the future of the 85-year-old tournament at risk....

 

"The NIT has a new, credible and imminent challenge in the competitive postseason space. Every indication is that a new postseason event is planned to start in 2025," Gavitt said. "The event is well-organized, imagined and funded with a competitive broadcast component and location.

"As a result of all that, we believe we needed to change and evolve the NIT to compete with the best available teams and conferences, given new postseason opportunities that are presented to them. The changes are a preemptive attempt to keep the NIT viable long-term, frankly."

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/38794849/changes-postseason-nit-made-response-new-tournament

[NorthTexasWeLove]

11 hours ago, NT80 said:

NCAA Announced Major Changes to the NIT and the College Hoops World Is Not Happy

• PATRICK ANDRES
• OCT 27, 2023

In 2024, that will change. The field will now guarantee berths to 12 teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, Pac-12 and SEC regardless of record, and will extend no such courtesy to low-major regular-season champions.

https://www.si.com/college/2023/10/27/ncaa-announces-changes-nit-college-hoops-fans-upset

Of course, majors can be .500 and mid-majors will need to be 28-4 conference tournament losers for an invite. Last year, we were the lone exception. Once the field is expanded to 76 or 80, there will be .500 at-large teams in the NCAA tourney while .900 mid-majors pray for an NIT invitation. 

They are intentionally swing the pendulum further and further away and no one does anything about it. And as I've said before, they (g5 admin/coaches) don't do anything about it because they're cowardly and don't want to blacklist themselves from their next hopeful job. 

[MrAlien]

send all automatic qualifiers straight to the field of 64

Then let those last 8 schools (bubble schools) fight it out in a play in.  these games would actually be fun to watch, because in theory they should be teams ranked next to each other in the NET. 

 

 

 

 

[untjim1995]

Its just so sad to see greed make college athletics all about 50 schools in football, basketball, and baseball. 

[MrAlien]

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

Its just so sad to see greed make college athletics all about 50 schools in football, basketball, and baseball. 

I dont necessarily see it like that.  It's true the tournament is a massive money generator, however just about everyone has a shot at getting in with their conference tournament.  And while college basketball has its blue bloods, the talk of the tournament every year are about upsets and Cinderella runs. 

I dont think adding 4 teams to a play-in help benefit high majors over anyone else, its going to benefit those schools that barely miss the cut under the current format. 

[untjim1995]

1 minute ago, MrAlien said:

I dont necessarily see it like that.  It's true the tournament is a massive money generator, however just about everyone has a shot at getting in with their conference tournament.  And while college basketball has its blue bloods, the talk of the tournament every year are about upsets and Cinderella runs. 

I dont think adding 4 teams to a play-in help benefit high majors over anyone else, its going to benefit those schools that barely miss the cut under the current format. 

Trust me, the teams that will "barely" miss will be conference champions of midmajors that lost in their conference tournaments or the 2nd place teams in non-power league conferences. It'll mean 4 more teams from the Big East, ACC, B1G, SEC, Big 12, and maybe a team from the A-10 or the WCC.

[UNTLifer]

7 hours ago, MrAlien said:

I dont necessarily see it like that.  It's true the tournament is a massive money generator, however just about everyone has a shot at getting in with their conference tournament.  And while college basketball has its blue bloods, the talk of the tournament every year are about upsets and Cinderella runs. 

I dont think adding 4 teams to a play-in help benefit high majors over anyone else, its going to benefit those schools that barely miss the cut under the current format. 

And then it will go to 80 to benefit those schools that barely miss the cut under this new format. Where does it stop?  Someone is always going to “barely miss the cut.”  Not a fan. Keep it as is. 

[NT80]

9 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

Trust me, the teams that will "barely" miss will be conference champions of midmajors that lost in their conference tournaments or the 2nd place teams in non-power league conferences. It'll mean 4 more teams from the Big East, ACC, B1G, SEC, Big 12, and maybe a team from the A-10 or the WCC.

Yes, check the percentages of power schools vs non in the Tourney once they add more spots.  The media $ is driving this; they want more "brands".

[MrAlien]

On 6/24/2024 at 1:02 PM, untjim1995 said:

Trust me, the teams that will "barely" miss will be conference champions of midmajors that lost in their conference tournaments or the 2nd place teams in non-power league conferences. It'll mean 4 more teams from the Big East, ACC, B1G, SEC, Big 12, and maybe a team from the A-10 or the WCC.

Conference champions will automatically qualify for the field of 64, so its not like the WAC's champions will be out.  The additional 4 teams will be those bubble team that currently miss a bid, and they will not go straight to the tournament instead they will go to a play-in.  Using the NET's formula, it is very fair in determining which teams should have a shot. 

 

[untjim1995]

7 hours ago, MrAlien said:

Conference champions will automatically qualify for the field of 64, so its not like the WAC's champions will be out.  The additional 4 teams will be those bubble team that currently miss a bid, and they will not go straight to the tournament instead they will go to a play-in.  Using the NET's formula, it is very fair in determining which teams should have a shot. 

 

So, are you cool when 7-11 or 8-10 power teams in their conferences get those spots when the third AAC team or the second MVC team gets told they didn’t measure up against what Wake Forest or Georgia or Northwestern did because of their conference’s depth? 
 

because that’s what will happen.