Are Automatic Bids A Good Thing For The NCAA's

[BuffetParrothead]

or should the bids go to other bubble teams who earned the spot. Personally I don't like auto bids.
Here's the auto bids for this years tourney.
MISSOURI VALLEY: Northern Iowa
BIG SOUTH: UNC Asheville
ATLANTIC SUN: Florida Gulf Coast
IVY: Yale
OHIO VALLEY: Austin Peay
MAAC: Iona
CAA: UNC Wilmington

 

[KiwiJeff]

or should the bids go to other bubble teams who earned the spot. Personally I don't like auto bids.
Here's the auto bids for this years tourney.
MISSOURI VALLEY: Northern Iowa

BIG SOUTH: UNC Asheville

ATLANTIC SUN: Florida Gulf Coast

IVY: Yale

OHIO VALLEY: Austin Peay

MAAC: Iona

CAA: UNC Wilmington

I don't mind them. They found success at their level, even if teams like Peay get in sometimes. If we got rid of them but kept the teams the same, we would just be letting in even more lousy top D1 teams and some successful mid majors. Letting the auto bids in leads to the occasional upset too, so it is fun.

 

[R-M-U-h-o-o-p-s-f-a-n]

or should the bids go to other bubble teams who earned the spot. Personally I don't like auto bids.
Here's the auto bids for this years tourney.
MISSOURI VALLEY: Northern Iowa

BIG SOUTH: UNC Asheville

ATLANTIC SUN: Florida Gulf Coast

IVY: Yale

OHIO VALLEY: Austin Peay

MAAC: Iona

CAA: UNC Wilmington

Auto bids earn their way into the Tourney and normally have to win at least 3 straight tourney games just to make the NCAA's.

If Pitt had to win the ACC Tournament just to make the NCAA's it probably would never make it.

So these teams earn their way in and make the Tournament more exciting by having a chance at a big upset.

 

[levance2]

Auto bids earn their way into the Tourney and normally have to win at least 3 straight tourney games just to make the NCAA's.

If Pitt had to win the ACC Tournament just to make the NCAA's it probably would never make it.

So these teams earn their way in and make the Tournament more exciting by having a chance at a big upset.

If nothing else, they serve as an easy "bye" game for the top seeds. If 1s and 2s were losing every year, people would get sick of it. Look at Pitt losing to Butler as an example.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

It seems to me that more "qualified" bubble teams get left out of the tourney because Yale gets in on an auto bid.
I'd rather see really good competition from round 1 on thru the tourney instead of watching a basketball beatdown when the auto bids meet the top seeds.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I can't believe this post. The number of 5/12 upsets, or 4/13 upsets, it is what makes the tournament great! It is what makes it. Why would I want to watch say Ohio State play Georgia because you kicked out Northern Iowa or FGCU, both of who have had some of the more exciting upsets over the past decade.

Come on...stop acting like the P5 conferences is the only thing that counts. Butler? George Mason? Their runs to the Final 4 are legendary.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Yes. But I think the conferences should choose to send their regular season champ. Their ESPN contracts are peanuts anyways.

Maybe have a tournament and if the tournament winner differs, have a 1 game playoff for the bid between the tourney champ and regular season champ.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

I can't believe this post. The number of 5/12 upsets, or 4/13 upsets, it is what makes the tournament great! It is what makes it. Why would I want to watch say Ohio State play Georgia because you kicked out Northern Iowa or FGCU, both of who have had some of the more exciting upsets over the past decade.

Come on...stop acting like the P5 conferences is the only thing that counts. Butler? George Mason? Their runs to the Final 4 are legendary.

I don't know this answer. Were Butler and George Mason qualified bubble teams or auto bids like Yale and Austin Peay. Letting those two in excludes two better bubble teams who also can provide upset excitement.
As for me I rout for the P5 top seed power teams plus PITT of course.
I'm not a Cinderella lover but a lot of you are!

 

[Gep Dawg]

Auto bids are what make the tourney great. Even if they never win its a huge source of pride for these schools to make the tournament and play against an elite program. The power conferences already have the deck stacked in their favor I don't think we need to make it even more unfair. Plus 15 seeds do win every few years which is awesome.

 

[Harve74]

I don't know this answer. Were Butler and George Mason qualified bubble teams or auto bids like Yale and Austin Peay. Letting those two in excludes two better bubble teams who also can provide upset excitement.
As for me I rout for the P5 top seed power teams except for PITT of course when we're not a top seed.
I'm not a Cinderella lover but a lot of you are!

One of the most fun basketball weekends we ever hsd was the first NCAAT in Mellon Arena when #15 Coppin St knocked off #2 South Carolina and gave Texas a batte in the second round.

The whole Power 5/Super-conference thing is one of the worst ideas ever to happen to college sports. The money is too big now so iIt will never happen but I wish they could put the genie back in the bottle and go back to 8-10 team maximum conferences with your games against your traditional local rivals.

There are hundreds of colleges and universities. The 65 or so largest ones shouldn't be the only ones with seats at the big table.

If anythng, they should double the number of auto-bids, with two from each conference and cut the number of at- large bids. Yeah, I'd love for Pitt to get a bid but really, what dd either Pitt or Syracuse do to deserve one, really? Both of us played below our capabilities. The TV money from at-large bids to P-5 conferences would just go to subsidize already bloated athletic departments. Why not distribute more of it to smaller, poorer schools where the largesse could make a difference?

 

[UPitt '89]

By having auto-bids.... it literally gives all 351 teams a path to the tournament (except for those under sanctions). Which is how it should be.

Even lowly BC has a path to the dance. They have to do it on the floor, but they have a path.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

In the future I think there will be less Cinderellas from the teams who get auto bids due to the talent amassed by the P5 teams.
It is fun to watch an exhibition game when a Kentucky, Kansas, NC, runs up like an 80 something to 40 something score on an auto bid team. Maybe I'll get to see that this year with Yale or Austin Peay.
As I said not a Cinderella lover I like P5 routs of the lesser teams.
Go P5 teams!

 

[NCanton Panther]

1st week of the NCAAT is great and these auto-bid teams from the non-P5 conferences have a good bit to do with it. Sure a 16 has never knocked off a 1 but there sure have been a number of other upsets. And if not actual upsets, they have played a number of unexpectedly close and exciting games, enough in my mind to offset the expected routs that obviously also occur.

 

[NTOP]

I don't know this answer. Were Butler and George Mason qualified bubble teams or auto bids like Yale and Austin Peay. Letting those two in excludes two better bubble teams who also can provide upset excitement.
As for me I rout for the P5 top seed power teams plus PITT of course.
I'm not a Cinderella lover but a lot of you are!

Cinderella was a hottie.

 

[NTOP]

One of the most fun basketball weekends we ever hsd was the first NCAAT in Mellon Arena when #15 Coppin St knocked off #2 South Carolina and gave Texas a batte in the second round.

The whole Power 5/Super-conference thing is one of the worst ideas ever to happen to college sports. The money is too big now so iIt will never happen but I wish they could put the genie back in the bottle and go back to 8-10 team maximum conferences with your games against your traditional local rivals.

There are hundreds of colleges and universities. The 65 or so largest ones shouldn't be the only ones with seats at the big table.

If anythng, they should double the number of auto-bids, with two from each conference and cut the number of at- large bids. Yeah, I'd love for Pitt to get a bid but really, what dd either Pitt or Syracuse do to deserve one, really? Both of us played below our capabilities. The TV money from at-large bids to P-5 conferences would just go to subsidize already bloated athletic departments. Why not distribute more of it to smaller, poorer schools where the largesse could make a difference?

I'm not sure Pitt or Syracuse played below their capabilities, Harve. I love the little guys having a shot. The sheer joy on their faces when they snare the bid is terrific. I recall that our guys, and most others, didn't seem too deflated if we got bounced out early at MSG. They knew they'd live to play another day.

 

[Swervin27]

I can't believe this post. The number of 5/12 upsets, or 4/13 upsets, it is what makes the tournament great! It is what makes it. Why would I want to watch say Ohio State play Georgia because you kicked out Northern Iowa or FGCU, both of who have had some of the more exciting upsets over the past decade.

Come on...stop acting like the P5 conferences is the only thing that counts. Butler? George Mason? Their runs to the Final 4 are legendary.

im cool with upsets on occasion but the George mason run was not legendary, it ruined a final four game..

I agree though, no one wants to see a 9-9 team from the ACC in the tourney over one of these mid major conference winners, well except pitt fans this year of course..

 

[UPitt '89]

im cool with upsets on occasion but the George mason run was not legendary, it ruined a final four game..

I agree though, no one wants to see a 9-9 team from the ACC in the tourney over one of these mid major conference winners, well except pitt fans this year of course..

A 9-9 Big East team won the NCAA championship in 2011. They were the 9-seed in the BE tourney, won 5 straight... then won 6 straight in the NCAA tourney.

I'm talking about the Kemba Walker UConn team.... who at this point in 2011, many thought were on the wrong side of the bubble and on their way to the NIT.

 

[Swervin27]

A 9-9 Big East team won the NCAA championship in 2011. They were the 9-seed in the BE tourney, won 5 straight... then won 6 straight in the NCAA tourney.

I'm talking about the Kemba Walker UConn team.... who at this point in 2011, many thought were on the wrong side of the bubble and on their way to the NIT.

that's interesting.. did not know this..

 

[UPitt '89]

that's interesting.. did not know this..

UConn in 2011 entered the Big East tournament as the #9 seed and was 21-9/9-9.

They beat #16 Depaul on Tuesday afternoon.
They beat #8 Georgetown on Wednesday, which put them on the good side of the bubble
They beat #1 Pitt on Thursday on a buzzer beater, which put them firmly in the dance
They beat #4 Syracuse in OT on Friday
They beat #3 Louisville in the BE championship game.... and secured a #3-seed.

But when they were playing Tuesday afternoon as the 9-seed against Depaul.... many thought they were not going to even get into the dance, let alone win the title.


And *THAT*'s why 9-9 teams in the ACC or B12 or B1G need to be considered ahead of small conference runner ups.

 

[ameoba defense]

im cool with upsets on occasion but the George mason run was not legendary, it ruined a final four game..

This is total BS. George Mason actually gave Florida a better game than UCLA did in the Final. Mason was an at large for what it's worth. So was VCU when they went to the Final Four. Kick out the small conferences, then get rid of the mid level ones. After that, get rid of the high majors, like the AAC, and A10, then kick out the BE. Once you get only P5s, cut it down to a 16 team, double elimination tournament. Duke, Carolina, Kansas. Michigan St. every year, with a spot or two left for the occasional Pitt, or Oklahoma St. Yeah, what fun that would be. (sarcasm intended)

 

[Swervin27]

This is total BS. George Mason actually gave Florida a better game than UCLA did in the Final. Mason was an at large for what it's worth. So was VCU when they went to the Final Four. Kick out the small conferences, then get rid of the mid level ones. After that, get rid of the high majors, like the AAC, and A10, then kick out the BE. Once you get only P5s, cut it down to a 16 team, double elimination tournament. Duke, Carolina, Kansas. Michigan St. every year, with a spot or two left for the occasional Pitt, or Oklahoma St. Yeah, what fun that would be. (sarcasm intended)

no one is saying that, at least I am not. Just saying, there is a down side to the Cinderella stories.. that final 4 game with GM was over by halftime.. Cinderella stories are great in the first round or two but no one wants to watch Coppin State in the final four.. Sweet 16? yes, final four lets save for the best teams..

 

[Pittx9]

I don't think they're a good thing, but you can't really go without them and they make the tourney that much more exciting. It puts about 1/3 or more teams in the field that are nowhere near the top 68 teams in the country, but it definitely adds excitement in March.