from EPSN.com

The changes will not affect which teams get into the tourney. But they will allow conference teams that have played only once during the season -- including league tournaments -- to meet as early as the third round (round of 32). Teams that have played twice will not face one another until the regional semifinals and teams that have played three times cannot meet until the regional championship.

During the call, NCAA spokesman David Worlock noted that in recent years, two teams were dropped two lines -- Marquette in 2007 and Brigham Young in 2012. "

To see how the new guidelines would work, NCAA staffers looked at the last three tourneys and found 90 percent of the moves were eliminated.

What else will be different?

Top teams from the same conference could find themselves playing in the same region sooner than in the past.

Under the old rules, the committee was barred from placing more than two teams from one conference into the same region unless that league had at least nine teams in the field, and the top three teams from a conference had to go into different regions.

Now, committee members will get more flexibility. The top four teams from each conference will be separated by region only if they appear among the top 16 overall seeds, the top four in each region.

Committee members also voted to try and avoid nonconference rematches during the First Four and the second round, and agreed to relax the rules if two or more teams from the same conference are among the last four at-large bids. Those last four would meet in the First Four.

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interesting as always, alblack! i like those changes personally. i always thought it was stupid in HD when a team got moved substantially so a 7 seed wouldnt have to play the 1 seed from their conference in the elite 8... its like come on, we shouldnt be planning around the possibility that a 7 seed makes the elite 8! i think its interesting to watch conf teams play in the NCAA tourney honestly, but i do think its important to allow the top teams from a conference the chance to beat up everyone else - because the perception of the strength of the conference is so subjective and potentially misleading. i think the top 4 seeds compromise strikes the perfect balance.