CFP, March Madness could have 100 total teams with proposed expansion
If certain people have their way, the College Football Playoff and March Madness would have a combined 100 teams. In what universe is that healthy?
Earlier this month, the NCAA gave approval to expand its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments next season. As a result, March Madness is seemingly set to have 76 teams beginning next year. However, that is not the only postseason expansion potentially coming to college sports.
Recently, there has also been talk of expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams , which would be six times the size of the field less than three years ago. In general, college sports fans are rightfully opposed to excessive postseason expansion. One statistic in particular highlights just how absurd the proposals are.
Under the potential expansion, March Madness would have 76 teams, and the CFP would have 24. If you add those up, that is a combined 100 bids being given out across the two biggest postseasons in college sports. Yes, 100.
(And if you count the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments separately, it would actually be 176. ) In no season ever have there been a combined 100 college football and basketball teams worthy of competing for a national championship. If this is not a sign that we have gone too far with expansion, then I am not sure what is.