The NCAA announced it has reached a 14-year, nearly $11 billion agreement with CBS and Turner Sports for the TV rights to a 68-team tournament -- up three teams from the current 65.

The NCAA is not renegotiating until 2024 .. so, except for MAYBE more advertising money for CBS (and that would be next year), exactly how is more money at stake? Why would the committee care how much money CBS makes .. unless CBS is kicking back cash to the committee (on top of the 11 billion they are already paying) to get better matchups in rounds 1 and 2.

As Hughes drops the mic and begins to walk away, the words, barely audible above the din of the arguing crowd, sum up his argument perfectly, "Checkmate mothafu.....s".

IMO there is no question the committee is looking for a bracket that "looks good", which is in part a bracket that "looks interesting". the possibility of UK vs indiana in this year's bracket definitely tickled the fancy of the humans on the selection committee - which probably made the prospect of giving UK a 4 and indiana a 5, more palatable to some folks who might have otherwise objected. a couple years back, there's an early UK louisville match up. before that, UK wichita state... i definitely think there is a human component here, where humans favor early matchups that catch their eye, because they are flawed mortal basketball fans, like the rest of us. maybe there is more than that, trying to get more games that would pull in the casual audience, that would be must-see games for regular fans, for money - maybe there isn't, i am not suggesting there is - but i definitely would expect a computer to generate less of these types of matchups. i think the goal of "playing close to home" does generate some of these matchups, but other times you see regional setups that make no sense, so i think there is more to it (although i suppose most of those can be explained by the selection committee's ultimate yearly goal, which is to give duke the easiest possible road to the final four ;)

Posted by gillispie1 on 3/22/2016 3:51:00 AM (view original):
IMO there is no question the committee is looking for a bracket that "looks good", which is in part a bracket that "looks interesting". the possibility of UK vs indiana in this year's bracket definitely tickled the fancy of the humans on the selection committee - which probably made the prospect of giving UK a 4 and indiana a 5, more palatable to some folks who might have otherwise objected. a couple years back, there's an early UK louisville match up. before that, UK wichita state... i definitely think there is a human component here, where humans favor early matchups that catch their eye, because they are flawed mortal basketball fans, like the rest of us. maybe there is more than that, trying to get more games that would pull in the casual audience, that would be must-see games for regular fans, for money - maybe there isn't, i am not suggesting there is - but i definitely would expect a computer to generate less of these types of matchups. i think the goal of "playing close to home" does generate some of these matchups, but other times you see regional setups that make no sense, so i think there is more to it (although i suppose most of those can be explained by the selection committee's ultimate yearly goal, which is to give duke the easiest possible road to the final four ;)

Oh, I agree that the seeding, by the committee has its flaws. And that the committee might have wanted to see Kansas / Wichita State and Kentucky / Indiana. I just don't think that has a bunch to do with cash. Certainly not cash for CBS. I certainly think the committee are 'super fans' and they geek out if they can create UK/IU or KU/WS.

And certainly it is in the best interest of the NCAA to keep the ratings high so that in 2024 they have many networks bid. That competition {between networks} will drive up the price. But with this last deal, where every game is covered, will require at least 4 channels (on almost all cable systems) to show games. Fox Sports, ESPN/ABC, and CBS would be in the running. I am not sure how many channels NBC has.. They do have NBC, NBC Sports, I think Bravo. They probably have one more.. So they can also likely bid too.

So, they need better ratings for the long term deal in 2024. Sure.

But I think the committee is not worried so much about that.. They just like good matchups.

"They just like good matchups. "

So does EVERYONE. Not sure what we're complaining about here...

edit- not you hughes, I mean others.

The problem with the matchups theory is this: you can always "find" the matchup that the committee wanted. Example:

Wisconsin is in the East bracket this year. So anyone who claims it is all about matchups says, "Obviously the committee was trying to set up a Wisconsin-Kentucky regional final in a rematch of the great Final Four games of the last two years."

If you put Wisconsin in the Midwest instead, it would be because "the committee wants to set up a Wisconsin-Virginia regional final so they can have Tony Bennett coach against his dad's old team."

If you put Wisconsin in the West instead, it would be because "the committee wants Wisconsin to play Oregon for the third straight year."

If you put Wisconsin in the South instead, it would be because "the committee wants Wisconsin to play against Arizona for the third straight year."

There is no bracket that can be created that doesn't create some kind of appealing regional matchup for Wisconsin (or Kansas, UNC, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, Duke, Oklahoma, Oregon, Villanova, etc.).

For ANY good team (and in a field of 68, almost all of the teams are really good), you can find an appealing matchup for them. So ANY bracket that is used will be claimed as evidence for good matchups. So if all possible brackets will create good matchups, why not go for the fairest bracket possible and let the matchups fall where they may?

I am sure there is rematch of a late 90's Rose Bowl somonewhere as well.

Posted by Trentonjoe on 3/22/2016 12:09:00 PM (view original):
I am sure there is rematch of a late 90's Rose Bowl somonewhere as well.

Lol. Nah, Stanford and UCLA sucked this year. Otherwise, that would be the matchup. "The committee put UCLA and Wisconsin together so UCLA can take revenge for Ron Dayne destroying them almost 20 years ago."

I know I was really hoping to watch that!