OT: NCAA First Four concept

[sseltser]

Nevada,

I agree -- its a copout.

If they say that the "tournament" (for all intents and purposes) begins on Thursday, as in an auto bid gets you to Thursday, then the opening round has to be with the last 8 at-large bids.

If the auto-bid gets you into the field of 68 only, then the opening round should feature the 8 worst teams (likely the 8 last auto bids from the smallest conferences).

But to mix the two, is sending mixed messages to try to appease different groups. While it may be a compromise, it isn't logical, although to ask for logic from the NCAA might be an ambitious request.

The NCAA needs to decide what an auto-bid guarantees and then go with that, otherwise, they aren't making any sense.