Thank God the Butler Didn't Do It

Don't get me wrong I was rooting for the Butler Bulldogs to upset UConn on Monday night. I really was.

I enjoyed the fact that everyone's bracket was completely busted when 11-seeded VCU and 8-seeded Butler earned spots in the Final Four. It is what makes March Madness so special; the idea that anyone in the tournament can win. It gives small schools name recognition that will obviously benefit recruiting. It allows young coaches to show their meddle and abilities which translates into higher pay at larger schools. It makes unknown players household names and NBA draft picks.

March Madness is perfect, it has all the intangibles to keep millions of men glued to their televisions for three straight weekends.

And this is why I'm glad Butler didn't win.

If Butler or VCU would have won the title, it would have justified the NCAA's decision to expand the field. This year was the first year that the tournament included 68 teams, and 4 play-in games (one of which was won by VCU). The success of VCU and to a lesser extent Butler seems to highlight the fact that any team can win come March.

That's the problem, if the NCAA deems this experiment successful, where will it end? How many teams will be included next year? The following year? Will every team in the nation be thrown into a bracket with a chance to compete for a national championship? Why play a regular season? What's the point of "power" conferences? Who gets all the money?

I see all of these questions as potential problems that will need to be answered if expansion of the tournament continues. Now that VCU, a play-in winner, and consecutive Finals appearances by Butler, the NCAA has clear evidential support that their system is working. And we know that if the NCAA has a chance to make extra money by adding more teams, and they have the evidence that justifies these moves, then they most certainly will do it. And why wouldn't they?

Can anyone really say that UConn is the best team in the country? Or that Butler is the second best team? Judging by that awful display of basketball on Monday, I'd say no.

Is VCU really better than Kansas, Duke, or even Pitt?




Like I said, the tournament works. The drama of late March is like no other. The system was not broken, but it was "tampered" with. My problem isn't with teams like Butler and VCU earning spots in the Final Four. I think that's great, that's what we root for.

I'm just afraid how far this expansion junk will go. It is entirely possible that within a few years we will not be able to recognize the tournament that we, sports fans, love the most.