College basketball needs a new number: 96.
That’s how many programs should make the NCAA Tournament, adding one more round of games and a host of other logistical concerns. The benefits would help reshape a sport in need of overhaul and institutional control.
A field of 96 would eliminate conference tournaments, one of the most unfulfilling cash-grabs on television. Nobody wants to see wretched Pac-12 teams wrestle in the mud for a third time. These tournaments exist to generate revenue for the five power conferences and are horribly unfair to mid-major programs like Grand Canyon University.
azcentral sports' Jay Dieffenbach and Dan Bickley discuss the unpredictable NCAA Tournament in our Shot Clock video.