Well, that didn't work.

The NCAA Tournament expanded from 64 to 65 a few years ago, and then went to 68 this year to include more at-large teams and cut some of the controversy from those teams on the bubble.

Yep, Selection Sunday went just as I am sure the committee would have hoped.

Colorado, Alabama, Virginia Tech, St. Mary's. All those schools have a legitimate beef. But here are my two major problems with spending too much time complaining about the teams who had their bubble burst, especially now with a 68-team field.

1 - The controversial teams that made the field in question - VCU, UAB  - and the four teams mentioned earlier are all filler teams to round out the field. None of have a chance to win the National Championship, so it seems silly to waste a ton of energy worrying about whether they are in or not, especially if you have no affiliation with the school.

2 - When is enough going to enough? You expand it to 68, and four teams are irate. Expand it to 72, and those four teams are happy, and then half the NIT and CBI field are throwing daggers at the committee.

March Madness is the best time of year for sports in my opinion and it stinks that every single  Selection Sunday is dominated by who didn't make it instead of those who did.

Hey Bama, Colorado, Virginia Tech and others. Win more games. Doesn't matter if you play a tough schedule or cupcake row. Win and you are in. As for UAB and VCU, they are in Dayton getting ready to play. Get over it and let the Madness begin.

Or expand to 228 teams and include all the bubble teams and have a few spots leftover for state champs from Ohio, California, Texas, Florida and New York.


On second thought, if we did that, guarantee the Division V state champ in Idaho would complain about their strength of schedule.

Ridiculous.

BTilton@News-Herald.com