Why don't we just have a 128 team tourney?

Ridding automatic bids could benefit NCAA Tournament
Brett Talley/Sports Columnist/Daily Toreador

Why were Radford, Morehead State, Robert Morris, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Cornell, Portland State, Stephen F. Austin and Morgan State in the tournament?

Even other low-seeded teams that gave big name teams a run for their money or even won a game like Cleveland State, Cal State-Northridge and East Tennessee State should not have been in the tournament.

Teams seeded No. 13 or higher always are teams from weak conferences who gained automatic bids by winning their conference tournament and have almost zero chance of reaching the Sweet 16 and even less of a chance of advancing beyond that round. In fact, only two teams seeded No. 13 or higher have reached the Sweet 16 and neither of those teams made it to the Elite Eight.

The point is, quite simply, automatic bids for winning a conference tournament have to go.

Many analysts would disagree, saying the Cinderella element is what makes the tournament so popular and so great. What they fail to understand is it does not matter who "Cinderella" is, just that there is one.

Whether it is Radford or teams like Miami (#65 in the final RPI ranking this year) and Auburn (#64 RPI) that are getting the last spots in the tournament, fans with no vested interest in either team will still root for the big upset every time. The only difference is that Miami and Auburn would have a chance and Radford, clearly, does not.

He goes on like that for a while if you want to click the link. This is part of the reason why I hate college basketball. The tournament is pretty much perfect the way it is and their fans still seem to think it needs tweeking. And no, noone would be as excited if Auburn or Miami beat a top seed as they would if Radford did. Those teams aren't Cindarellas, they're Dark Horses. Two completely different animals. As long as they leave college football the Hell alone I'm okay. Don't screw up my regular season just because you can't appreciate things for what they are.

PS - since when does the DT have sports columnists. Back in my day the sports reporters just wrote columns. Hell in a handbasket I tell you.