The NCAA basketball tournaments are so cool on so many levels. I'm a band geek. Each team in the tournament brings their basketball band with them, on the charter, staying in the same hotel, etc. The bands play their team out of the hotel when they leave for the arena, play their team into the arena, and play at the game along with the opposing band. It's a (friendly) battle of the bands at each venue. It's a hoot. These kids work so hard at their craft and make it a real college atmosphere.
On a different note, I appreciate you giving credit where credit is due. University of Portland women in the tourney is great for the state of Oregon. I for one am tired reading about the other two school. Especially the one with all the money. Congrats to all involved at UofP.
Do you think there's any parallel with the downturn of Oregon women's basketball and the loss of Mark Campbell (and Xavier Lopez) to Sac State? Sac State is in the NCAA tournament while Oregon struggles to be a mid-Pac 12 team. I think Campbell was the glue on Oregon's successful run beginning in 2015-16. I know Kelly Graves is a fine coach and good guy, but Campbell was the lead recruiter and defensive coach. It's obvious those areas have fallen off, especially the defensive performances. At Sac State he has taken a team that was 3-22 in 2020-21 to 25-7 and an NCAA berth two years later. When Graves decides to retire, Campbell should be at the top of Oregon's list of replacements.
Agree with all of this — except Sankey’s sanctimony. It’s my impression that expansion of the field beyond 64/68 is a scheme to expand at-large bids for power conference programs. I’m not philosophically opposed to expanding the field — hell, you could convince me the field should include EVERYONE and eliminate the insipid conference tournaments that ESPN invented to generate $.
Hats off to the Portland U women's CBB team. You go girls!
But how to make a guy feel old? I was around when there was no women's tournament and the men's field was 16 teams. And growing up in Boston no one who didn't make a phone call out west knew the scores from the west-of-the-Mississippi Saturday games until reported in the Boston Globe and Boston Herald in Monday morning's newspaper.
Man the Pac-10's men's CBB teams need to up their game. 2 invites for the Pac-10 men with one, ASU, being a play-in invite. This is no fine.
I do hope the CBB field goes to 80 and I expect that come 2026 we will see a 16-team CFB field.
PS - An additional reason to feel old. I knew Harry Reid very well. Litigated against Harry's law firm on several occasions before Harry entered politics. Closer to home, Harry's son dated my daughter. Time passes by.
That's potentially an argument for why OSU may have deserved a tourney berth, but to me, not an argument for expanding the tournament. Whether you let in 16, 32, 64, 68, 76, or 128, SOMEONE is going to have an argument for why they belong, rather than Southwest Eastern Polytechnic or Nevada Institute of Technology and Makeup Artists.
Just like in the NFL and NBA, it annoys me that teams with losing records make the playoffs. Sure, an 8 - 9 NFL team could get hot and reach the Super Bowl - but then again, so could a 5 - 12 team. I just think the more teams make the playoffs/tourney, the cheaper that accomplishment is.
What’s the latest on the Pac-12 media deal? I heard the CU Board of Regents held an emergency session to discuss the school’s future in the Pac-12 and Big-12 schools are now openly courting the four corner schools. They’re now saying a deal won’t come until late March? There’s no chance this delay can mean anything besides doom for the once conference of champions. George Kliavkoff has been a disaster.
John, GREAT ARTICLE ON MARCH 13, 2023; It is your stories that make college sports so facinating, Amigo, you need to reach a wider audience. But, perhaps, you are content with the depth of your readership? I know I was when I wrote Opinion articals for my college rag I was content with a very limited readrship of 30,000. I think your wife had me on TV about one of my articles many years back. Good Cheers. Dr. Jim McHugh
There will ALWAYS be a "first team out," unless every single D1 team is in the tournament. Mediocre 17 - 15 teams belong in the NIT or CIB, not March Madness.
Being retired, "I got time...." so i have re engaged with March Madness. That said, no more teams. If Stankey said it is ".....about the competition.....", then no more teams. Why not go nuts and make it 128 and cancel non conf schedules? MLB has too many games and too many teams make the playoffs, 40%!. Fifty three (53) % in 2020, laughable. You want in, play better and win more. I'd also like to see the attendance of the early rounds, how well do they draw? Good coverage John.....
Great column, JC. Speaking of football.... Eighteen years ago I spent much of a month with the former head basketball coach of North Carolina State, Les Robinson. He was about to retire as an athletic director in Charleston, S.C. and once he stepped down, he said he would work to bring basketball tourney magic to Div 1 football. Can you imagine what a 16 or 24-team field would do for the sport? he asked. And he wasn't talking just about money (which would be substantial). The 4 team playoffs followed not long after, and now it goes to 12. But FCS football does 24 teams. Why not FBS?
Thanks for the report on The Women Pilots John. How cool will it be when they beat Oklahoma if they face UCLA in the next round. It would be awesome if they upset the team from LA and give them the boot out the door of the Pac12. They play team ball, they never quit and the coach feels part of the team! I'm all in!
The NCAA basketball tournaments are so cool on so many levels. I'm a band geek. Each team in the tournament brings their basketball band with them, on the charter, staying in the same hotel, etc. The bands play their team out of the hotel when they leave for the arena, play their team into the arena, and play at the game along with the opposing band. It's a (friendly) battle of the bands at each venue. It's a hoot. These kids work so hard at their craft and make it a real college atmosphere.
On a different note, I appreciate you giving credit where credit is due. University of Portland women in the tourney is great for the state of Oregon. I for one am tired reading about the other two school. Especially the one with all the money. Congrats to all involved at UofP.
Adding more spots is fine. But, the most important part of the March Madness secret sauce is maintaining the small conference automatic bids.
Do you think there's any parallel with the downturn of Oregon women's basketball and the loss of Mark Campbell (and Xavier Lopez) to Sac State? Sac State is in the NCAA tournament while Oregon struggles to be a mid-Pac 12 team. I think Campbell was the glue on Oregon's successful run beginning in 2015-16. I know Kelly Graves is a fine coach and good guy, but Campbell was the lead recruiter and defensive coach. It's obvious those areas have fallen off, especially the defensive performances. At Sac State he has taken a team that was 3-22 in 2020-21 to 25-7 and an NCAA berth two years later. When Graves decides to retire, Campbell should be at the top of Oregon's list of replacements.
Agree with all of this — except Sankey’s sanctimony. It’s my impression that expansion of the field beyond 64/68 is a scheme to expand at-large bids for power conference programs. I’m not philosophically opposed to expanding the field — hell, you could convince me the field should include EVERYONE and eliminate the insipid conference tournaments that ESPN invented to generate $.
Hats off to the Portland U women's CBB team. You go girls!
But how to make a guy feel old? I was around when there was no women's tournament and the men's field was 16 teams. And growing up in Boston no one who didn't make a phone call out west knew the scores from the west-of-the-Mississippi Saturday games until reported in the Boston Globe and Boston Herald in Monday morning's newspaper.
Man the Pac-10's men's CBB teams need to up their game. 2 invites for the Pac-10 men with one, ASU, being a play-in invite. This is no fine.
I do hope the CBB field goes to 80 and I expect that come 2026 we will see a 16-team CFB field.
PS - An additional reason to feel old. I knew Harry Reid very well. Litigated against Harry's law firm on several occasions before Harry entered politics. Closer to home, Harry's son dated my daughter. Time passes by.
No more teams need to get in. Then the regular season doesn’t matter.
Nice piece. I thought you reported on PNW teams not only Oregon. I get it.
Go Cougs! WSU women did an outstanding job.
That's potentially an argument for why OSU may have deserved a tourney berth, but to me, not an argument for expanding the tournament. Whether you let in 16, 32, 64, 68, 76, or 128, SOMEONE is going to have an argument for why they belong, rather than Southwest Eastern Polytechnic or Nevada Institute of Technology and Makeup Artists.
Just like in the NFL and NBA, it annoys me that teams with losing records make the playoffs. Sure, an 8 - 9 NFL team could get hot and reach the Super Bowl - but then again, so could a 5 - 12 team. I just think the more teams make the playoffs/tourney, the cheaper that accomplishment is.
Great perspective by the SEC commissioner. He is right that the playoff is about students, parents & fans for everyone, not just the perceived elite.
What’s the latest on the Pac-12 media deal? I heard the CU Board of Regents held an emergency session to discuss the school’s future in the Pac-12 and Big-12 schools are now openly courting the four corner schools. They’re now saying a deal won’t come until late March? There’s no chance this delay can mean anything besides doom for the once conference of champions. George Kliavkoff has been a disaster.
John, GREAT ARTICLE ON MARCH 13, 2023; It is your stories that make college sports so facinating, Amigo, you need to reach a wider audience. But, perhaps, you are content with the depth of your readership? I know I was when I wrote Opinion articals for my college rag I was content with a very limited readrship of 30,000. I think your wife had me on TV about one of my articles many years back. Good Cheers. Dr. Jim McHugh
There will ALWAYS be a "first team out," unless every single D1 team is in the tournament. Mediocre 17 - 15 teams belong in the NIT or CIB, not March Madness.
Being retired, "I got time...." so i have re engaged with March Madness. That said, no more teams. If Stankey said it is ".....about the competition.....", then no more teams. Why not go nuts and make it 128 and cancel non conf schedules? MLB has too many games and too many teams make the playoffs, 40%!. Fifty three (53) % in 2020, laughable. You want in, play better and win more. I'd also like to see the attendance of the early rounds, how well do they draw? Good coverage John.....
Great column, JC. Speaking of football.... Eighteen years ago I spent much of a month with the former head basketball coach of North Carolina State, Les Robinson. He was about to retire as an athletic director in Charleston, S.C. and once he stepped down, he said he would work to bring basketball tourney magic to Div 1 football. Can you imagine what a 16 or 24-team field would do for the sport? he asked. And he wasn't talking just about money (which would be substantial). The 4 team playoffs followed not long after, and now it goes to 12. But FCS football does 24 teams. Why not FBS?
Thanks for the report on The Women Pilots John. How cool will it be when they beat Oklahoma if they face UCLA in the next round. It would be awesome if they upset the team from LA and give them the boot out the door of the Pac12. They play team ball, they never quit and the coach feels part of the team! I'm all in!