It is utterly amazing the difference between college football and basketball. The regular season in college football is everything; loose one game and it could cost you a chance to play for the National championship. Every game is critical, they all become must see events. On the other hand, the college football post season is completely meaningless. They have hundreds (I know an exaggeration) of post season bowl games, and only ONE game matters. Unless you’re a fan of a particular team, why watch any of the bowl games. Those teams not in the BCS title game have no shot at a national championship.
Conversely, the regular season in college basketball is virtually meaningless. Is there really a must see game during the regular season? While Syracuse/Georgetown in February may be a good game, does the outcome matter?? No. Both teams are going to the NCAA tournament. Yes, I know that for some of the second tier teams, the regular season is important to win enough games to make your case to get into the tourney. But as a whole, for most of the elite teams, the regular season is pointless. It is in the tourney where you make your mark. For all of Kentucky's success this year, if they get bounced in Round 2 of the tournament, their season will be viewed as an abject failure.
Yes, with 65 teams in the tournament, there may be some drama left in determining who gets those final slots (i.e. the 7th team in the Big East v. the 2nd team in the Mountain West, etc.). Now if you expand the tournament to 98 teams, you take away even the smallest drama of selection Sunday. It would be like kindergarten all over: "everyone's a winner!" You may as well not even bother having a regular season. Just play the tournament.
In fact, I think that 65 is usually too many.
The only thing meaningful in a regular season is a conference championship, which only the diehard fans remember.
Or whether or not a "bubble" team can raise its RPI enough to get a bid.
College basketball's popularity has dwindled in recent years, with the exception of the tournament. Attendance is down and ratings are down for regular season games.
I fear that college football's regular season will be less meaningful too if the college presidents give in and have a playoff. Right now, the best season of any sport is the college football regular season. A playoff would ruin that and would harm the game.
And so would expansion of the already large NCAA basketball field of 65.
bowl games. Maybe 8 or 9, and that's it. Those should be for the BEST teams, not any team that wins 6 games!
-- Modified on 3/3/2010 12:08:35 PM
easily by playing round 1 at campus sites on the Saturday after the conference championship games are played. Then take time for exams and Chistmas break before playing the semi-finals at 2 of the BCS bowl sites on New Years Day. The championship game would be played on January 8th at one of the other BCS bowl sites. This is 1 day later than the BCS title game this past season. A lot of money to be made!
The remainder of the bowl games can still all be played to keep the 6-6 teams happy.