68 teams

4/22/2010 10:21:19 AM They couldn't have added one more team to the Tournament just for comedy's sake?  Really?  ESPN is reporting that the NCAA has reached an agreement with CBS and Turner (very funny) to a 14-year agreement.  Well, at least the doomsday scenario of 96 teams has been avoided.

The article claims that 96% of the NCAA's revenue's come from the Men's Basketball Tournament.  That has to be inaccurate.  I can't believe for a second that college football and the BCS only account for 4% of revenues. Nevertheless, disaster appears to be averted for now.

What remains to be seen is how the additional three teams will impact the Tournament.  Since I know of no new conferences joining Division I; I'm guessing that we are looking at the possibility of 3 more at-large teams next season.  How those teams will work their way into the bracket is anyone's guess.  Maybe the there will  be four play-in games comprising the 8 lowest seeded automatic qualifiers from lesser conferences.  That would make the most sense; but who knows what the NCAA will ultimately decide.

Terp fans should be happy about this.  If these rules had been implemented after 2002; it can be argued that the Terps would not have missed a Tournament this decade.  The years that MD missed were years that the Terps were on the cusp of a bid.  Since 68 teams doesn't dilute the field too much; we should be breathing a sigh of relief.
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