How To Conduct a Champions’ Tournament

A True Champions’ Tournament

(St. Louis, MO) – What if we had a true ‘Champions’ Tournament this season? As we wrestle with possibilities of an NCAA Basketball Tournament, why not get creative? Many national writers ignore the ‘so-called’ mid and low major conferences. We, of course will not.

This season’s NCAA Tournament should be a true ‘Champions’ Tournament’!

In our last article we floated ideas that could possibly work to save the college basketball season and March Madness. While we believe those are very workable, the national pundits fret over ‘Quandrant 1’ wins, the NET and the Selection Committee.

THEY ARE MISSING THE POINT!

If we have some semblance of a season, there will be pieces that look like our last article. There will be some mini-bubbles (there is an interesting ESPN story on bubbles) and some form of regional contests. Since there will not be a worthwhile sample-size to adequately evaluate teams from various regions and conferences, the ‘experts’ shouldn’t try.

So scrap the comparisons!

Regular Season Champion Qualifies

Assuming we have a season that focuses on conference games exclusively or majorly then the regular season champions would qualify for the NCAA Tournament. For one fateful season, we should limit the Tournament to 64 teams.

The thirty-two regular season champs would qualify and then be seeded one – through 32 in the Tournament. The ‘money seven’ conferences would lose their collective minds, but for one beautiful season, it would be worth it! A ‘champions’ tournament could ensue from there! While we’re working on the postseason possibilities, the regular season is the only thing that matters!

What About Conference Tournaments?

Since we’re hopeful there will be a vaccine in place early in the New Year, we believe conference tournaments will be occurring. While there may be a limitation of fans, we also believe there will be some fans in attendance.

The NCAA should also accept every conference tournament winner into the Big Dance. In 2019, 14 non-regular season champions won their league’s postseason tournament. If history repeated itself, those 14 teams would be seeded 33 through 46. Forty-six champions would be entered into the champions’ tournament!

The final 18 teams invited to the Big Dance would be A. Conference co-champions or division winners of any league and second place teams from the ‘power seven’ leagues (where not already qualified).

History Lessons – 2019

Five of those 14 tournament upset winners came from the ‘power seven’ conferences. Nine leagues sported co-winners with three of those coming from the money conferences. Six of the nine co-champs or division winners did not. So, only 15 ‘power seven’ teams of the initial 55 in the Tournament would qualify.

Second place teams, Marquette, Arizona State, Kentucky and Tennessee (tied in the SEC) would be the second place qualifying teams, bringing the money conference team total to 19 of 59. Since the power brokers of college basketball would not stand for that small number of marquis teams, I suggest the Selection Committee then adds five more teams, all from those leagues.

The American Athletic, ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 and Southeastern Conferences would place 24 teams into the NCAA Tournament.

A Champions’ Tournament

This would be a true ‘national championship’ where all ‘champions’ would be invited. For one beautiful season, the tournament would not be glutted by fifth place finishers from a ‘money conference’. National pundits are already against this, due their innate bias. While many people may believe a fourth, fifth or sixth place team in the Big Ten is better than OVC regular season champion Belmont, the Bruins truly earned their spot at ‘the dance’.

National writers are already talking about how to rate teams that haven’t played anyone outside their respective conference, when they know there is no objective way to do so! Let the games be played and allow the national tournament to be a true ‘champions’ classic’!

Do Good