NCAA tournament bracketing changes

[Dew]

One of the changes addresses how soon teams from the same conference can play each other in the tournament, which will be based on the frequency with which they met during the regular season and postseason conference tournament.

This means that teams from the same conference that played only once during the season can now face each other as early as the third round of the championship. Subsequently, teams from the same league that met twice during the year will not potentially play each other until the regional semifinals. Also, teams from the same league that played each other three times during the course of the season cannot play until the regional championship game.

The previous guidelines did not allow more than two teams from a league to be in the same region unless nine or more teams were selected from one conference. This has only occurred twice in the history of the championship (Big East with 11 teams in 2011 and nine in 2012). Under the new principles, each of the top four teams selected from a conference will be placed in separate regions, only if they are seeded on the first four lines. This replaces the principle that separated the top three teams from a league regardless of the teams’ placement within the bracket.

http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men ... tournament

[dmac80]

As soon as the ACC loads up all the best programs and is sure to get the most teams into the tourney the rules change so that they can't play each other til late in the brackets. What a coincidence.

[MUSeashells&Balloons]

I feel like this really is an advantage to us as we will all play at least twice this year some of us potentially three. It means that we wont be knocking each other out of the tournament as often. While the ACC is big enough they can play earlier in the tournament.

[anXUfan]

I feel like this really is an advantage to us as we will all play at least twice this year some of us potentially three. It means that we wont be knocking each other out of the tournament as often. While the ACC is big enough they can play earlier in the tournament.

Great point.

[JOPO]

I feel like this really is an advantage to us as we will all play at least twice this year some of us potentially three. It means that we wont be knocking each other out of the tournament as often. While the ACC is big enough they can play earlier in the tournament.

Great point.

Because of this it also makes a great argument for the league to remain at the current ten teams instead of expanding to twelve. Of course, the teams going to the tournament have to be strong so that they can be seeded among the top four in each region. I just hope that the five football conferences don't start just scheduling each other for their out of conference so as to hurt the RPI's of the Big East and force us to schedule more mid-majors in the OOC. That would really suck.

[Bluejay]

I just hope that the five football conferences don't start just scheduling each other for their out of conference so as to hurt the RPI's of the Big East and force us to schedule more mid-majors in the OOC. That would really suck.

I think after we get a season under our belts, we will be in a little bit better position to leverage our relationship with Fox to get some good noncon games against BCS schools. For example, since Fox also has rights to the PAc-12, I wouldn't be surprised to see Fox assist in putting together some quality made for TV games between the BE and PAc 12.