Re: Breaking Down March Madness

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• published: 15 Mar 2010
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Former President Bill Clinton sat courtside at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, chatting with the Big East commissioner, John Marinatto. Inevitably, the conversation turned to the potential expansion of the N.C.A.A. mens basketball tournament Around the country, from the stands to the locker rooms to the executive offices of television networks, the possibility that the tournament will grow, most likely to 96 teams, has become one of this Marchs most heated topics. As the N.C.A.A. prepares to unveil its 65-team field on what has become known as Selection Sunday, the possibility of radically altering the format — perhaps as soon as next year — is being seriously considered. Although the idea of changing the beloved bracket has been panned by fans and criticized by pundits, the promise of more television money and greater access to the tournament has made change conceivable. The opportunity to decide whats going to happen with our revenue is a big deal, said Greg Shaheen, the senior vice president for basketball and business strategies with the N.C.A.A.. Its what a lot of institutions rely on for their athletic programs. Thats a centerpiece to why all this happens. Its easy to say you dont want change. But simply put, its whats appropriate to operate in our best interest. Many models, including a 68-team tournament, have been suggested. Most discussions have involved a 96-team field. Expansion is essentially a numbers game, driven by the potential for more television revenue. The N.C.A.A., which generates about 90 percent of its revenue from the tournament, has a July 31 deadline to decide whether it will opt out of the three years remaining on its 13-year, $6 billion contract with CBS. The most obvious suitor is ESPN, which broadcasts hundreds of college basketball games on its array of networks but spends the postseason broadcasting the second-tier National Invitation Tournament. College sports is a significant part of the culture of our company, and we have a wonderful position in college basketball, said John Skipper, ESPNs executive vice president for content. He added, We love our involvement, and it feels somewhat unfulfilling to stop before the end of the year. CBSs contract with the N.C.A.A. is heavily backloaded, scheduled to pay $2.13 billion for the rights to the tournament over the final three years. If the tournament expanded and remained on CBS, the network would probably have to strike a deal with a cable partner to carry some of it. ESPN owns enough networks to broadcast the entire tournament. Either option would probably eliminate the regional airing of early-round games and could generate significantly more revenue. Shaheen said it was a misconception that the N.C.A.A. was aiming to command greater attention over a longer period because the expanded tournament would still be played in a three-week window. In the 96-team model, he said, the top 32 teams would get a first-round bye. Shaheen said that since the tournament last expanded significantly, in 1985, the number of Division I mens basketball teams had increased to 343 from 284. In 1985, the television contract was worth $27 million. The final year on the current deal pays more than $750 million. That puts in perspective how far weve come in 25 years, Shaheen said. How best to move forward is really our focus. The reality of this great event is that its buoyed us. Although the tournament has carried the N.C.A.A., the issue has become divisive in college basketball circles. This year, the quality of teams on the N.C.A.A. bubble has been particularly low, and the notion of adding more weak teams to the tournament is not particularly appealing to some. Honestly, this year is the argument for 48, said Jerry Palm, who runs the Web site CollegeRPI.com and does commentary for CBS College Sports. This years field is so horribly unaccomplished compared to the last few years. Most coaches who have voiced opinions are in favor of expansion. But they will ultimately have little say as Jim Isch, the N.C.A.A.s interim president, and the 18 university presidents and chancellors on the Division I board decide on the TV contract and the tournaments format. Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim went so far as to say that any coach that is against expansion is not a good brother. Boeheim said he thought that adding teams would be a step forward.