Jay Williams criticized the NCAA's plan to expand March Madness to 76 teams, arguing it undermines the value of the regular season. He expressed concerns about the impact on the competitive balance between traditional powerhouses and underdog teams.
College basketball fans are trying to wrap their mind around what a 76-team NCAA tournament bracket would look like, and whether the NCAA's decision will help or hurt the product.
ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams took a stand on Wednesday, speaking out against the expanded version of March Madness set to take effect next spring.
"What I hate about this ultimately is, we have conversations about 82 games in the regular season for the NBA...to me, this devalues the regular season for college basketball," Williams said on Get Up. "It means fewer games that actually matter."
Williams also spoke about the blueblood versus Cinderella dynamic with an expanded NCAA tournament field.
"Anyone that wakes up today and thinks that more Cinderellas are going to get a larger invitation...this is about the royal family having more seats at the table, and the royal family are the power conferences here," Williams said.
Williams also issued a stern warning and prediction for the future of college basketball, as the NCAA tries to placate the power conferences.
"Inevitably, the power conferences are going to break away," Williams believes.
The NCAA is expected to make an official announcement about NCAA tournament expansion in May.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: March Madness: Jay Williams criticizes expanding NCAA tournament
Jay Williams believes that expanding the tournament devalues the regular season and reduces the significance of fewer meaningful games.
Williams highlighted concerns about the dynamic between traditional powerhouses and Cinderella teams, suggesting that the expansion could alter the competitive landscape.
The expanded 76-team format is set to take effect in the spring of 2024.
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