NCAA Basketball: What if March Madness worked like the FIFA World Cup?

By Dakota Cox | Jul 10, 2018

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 15: A general view of the court with March Madness signage is seen prior to the start of the game between the OklahomaSooners and the Rhode Island Rams in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

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SOCHI, RUSSIA – JULY 07: Igor Akinfeev of Russia consoles Iury Gazinsky after defeat in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Quarter Final match between Russia and Croatia at Fisht Stadium on July 7, 2018 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

Pros

Same amount of games

This system would have 63 games, equal to the amount of a 64-team bracket.

Competition

If you have 32 teams, every game is a grueling competition. Top seeds could not take a game off. If the tie-breakers were done right, every minute of every game in the Group Stage would matter. Also, teams would have to work harder to earn positions in the Sweet 16, which makes Knockout Stage games more entertaining. A Cinderella story is great, but it’s not entertaining when they’re getting blown out by a 2-seed.

Experience

If you use this system, every team would be guaranteed three games, and they would average almost games per tournament experience. This would double the 1.97 games averaged by each team in the current configuration (excluding First Four games).

As this system continues, teams would gain more experience and become better equipped for the next season. This would be better for the players, fans, and NCAA.

Cons

No Cinderella Teams

Okay, this is the worst part about this system. Without so many teams, there aren’t the Loyola-Chicago’s or the UMBC’s of the tournament. However, this could be fixed by making a consolation bracket for the other 32 teams that would have been in March Madness beforehand. It’s not ideal, but it beats the heck out of the NIT.

It’s a Confusing System

I understand this system isn’t perfect. Casual fans might get confused with the groups and tie-breakers. But we’re allowed to get a little more complicated than a single-elimination bracket. And at the end of the day, all the fan needs to know is where to watch the game.

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All in all, the NCAA could learn how to improve its tournament by taking a page from FIFA’s book. It comes with its flaws, but so does March Madness.

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