Fox Sports in Negotiations to Hold a New Men’s College Basketball Tournament in Vegas in Late March

[Smashcat]

My own reaction: MEH.

Under terms of the proposed arrangement, the top 16 teams in the Big 12, Big East and Big Ten that did not qualify for the NCAA tournament — as ranked by the NET — would be required to play in the Fox event even if they are invited to the NIT.

Fox Proposes New Vegas-Based College Hoops Tournament

The field for late March would include the top 16 teams from the Big East, Big Ten and Big 12 that didn't make the NCAA tournament

themessenger.com

 

[bbncal02]

Big MEH.

So the top 16 teams by NET coming out of three conferences that don't make the Field of 64? I mean. Of those three conferences, most of their GOOD teams usually qualify. That means this will be a bunch of bottom feeder teams that nobody wants to watch.

 

[TheDude73]

Money and greed is going to ruin everything we love, if it hasn't already...

Almost no one watches the NIT. So these clowns think people will flock to watch the worst of those conferences beat each other up with ugly basketball in their "new" tournament? Good luck with that.

 

[JonathanW]

Required by whom? Fox has no say over them

 

[Zissou87]

"The Who's Who of Who-Cares? Tournament"
It will probably get tens of dollars every year.

 

[UK90]

Why can't they just let the season end for teams that had poor seasons?

They totally unnecessarily expand the NCAAT to 68 teams, while still having the 32 team NIT team field, they then start adding these other weird 16 team tourneys like the CBI ...and now they wanna add yet another just for the big conferences' losers?

Why? Nobody wants to watch all these mediocre to bad teams keep playing past the regular season.

 

[jrpross]

"The Who's Who of Who-Cares? Tournament"
It will probably get tens of dollars every year.

Yeah I’m just not seeing a big championship game of Georgia Vs Boston College being that big a draw

 

[JDHoss]

Somebody should have been fired for even suggesting this...

 

[WeWant9]

Boring. I would expect a lot of players to opt out of this tournament.

 

[Padsfs07]

Yeah I’m just not seeing a big championship game of Georgia Vs Boston College being that big a draw

The NIT draws better than most of the regular season games (for teams of this caliber). It's filler for those days in between the NCAA tournament.

 

[Mike-McD]

Why can't they just let the season end for teams that had poor seasons?

They totally unnecessarily expand the NCAAT to 68 teams, while still having the 32 team NIT team field, they then start adding these other weird 16 team tourneys like the CBI ...and now they wanna add yet another just for the big conferences' losers?

Why? Nobody wants to watch all these mediocre to bad teams keep playing past the regular season.

It'$ really a $imple rea$on if you $top to con$ider what their real motivation$ are.

 

[WeWant9]

I will add, the big 10 might finally win a basketball title with this new tournament.

 

[bbncal02]

"The Who's Who of Who-Cares? Tournament"
It will probably get tens of dollars every year.

Might as well just call it the "Who Gives A Fox" Tourney.

 

[UK90]

It'$ really a $imple rea$on if you $top to con$ider what their real motivation$ are.

But how much money can be really made off all these extraneous tournaments that nobody gives a shit about? TV ratings will surely suck something awful and I suspect they’ll basically have to give tickets away nearly for free.

Maybe it’s just because the gambling industry wants there to be even more games to take bets on.

 

[Mike-McD]

But how much money can be really made off all these extraneous tournaments that nobody gives a shit about? TV ratings will surely suck something awful and I suspect they’ll basically have to give tickets away nearly for free.

Maybe it’s just because the gambling industry wants there to be even more games to take bets on.

It's called market saturation.

Fox wouldn't do this unless they counted the beans first.

 

[bthaunert]

Couple thoughts:

1. This year, the games wouldn't start until March 31 (the day after the Elite Eight games). Teams playing in this tournament would probably be done about March 15. Most of these kids are going to want to just stop playing basketball, instead of taking 2 weeks off and then playing games again.

2. This past year, the following teams would have made this tournament: Depaul (10-22). Minnestota (9-22), Georgetown (7-25)

 

[bbncal02]

It's called market saturation.

Fox wouldn't do this unless they counted the beans first.

even great bean counters make mistakes. History is full of "sure things" that tank.

 

[UK90]

This past year, the following teams would have made this tournament: Depaul (10-22). Minnestota (9-22), Georgetown (7-25)

This tells us all we need to know about how stupid this idea is.

 

[Mike-McD]

even great bean counters make mistakes. History is full of "sure things" that tank.

Okay bro. You do you, I just answered his question, and it was fairly obvious. Whether or not it works out doesn't mean a hill of beans to me.

 

[bbncal02]

Okay bro. You do you, I just answered his question, and it was fairly obvious. Whether or not it works out doesn't mean a hill of beans to me.

Wasn't trying to be a smartass. Just saying, wouldn't be the first time in history a company thought they had a good money maker and it tank. Also, look at Fox's interesting programming decisions to see some headscratchers. They aren't known for consistency.

Does anyone really want to watch a Minnesota-Georgetown game where both teams have a combined 15 wins in late march?

 

[giffhawk]

The ONLY way this tournament makes it big is if the participants get to keep all the proceeds and those proceeds exceed what the NCAA pays teams in the NCAA tournament. Greed has a way of being a game changer.

 

[gossie21]

UofL still on the outside looking in.

 

[TheDude73]

Required by whom? Fox has no say over them

Most likely if they agree to the contract, they are agreeing to be "required" to attend.

What will be comical is when no one agrees to attend. Unless of course, the $$$ is just too hard to pass up (and likely it will be).

 

[TheDude73]

Why can't they just let the season end for teams that had poor seasons?

They totally unnecessarily expand the NCAAT to 68 teams, while still having the 32 team NIT team field, they then start adding these other weird 16 team tourneys like the CBI ...and now they wanna add yet another just for the big conferences' losers?

Why? Nobody wants to watch all these mediocre to bad teams keep playing past the regular season.

Because capitalism and greed. Everyone looks to make a buck.

 

[TheDude73]

The NIT draws better than most of the regular season games (for teams of this caliber). It's filler for those days in between the NCAA tournament.

And even then, I don't watch. Most people don't watch. How on earth some marketing clown believes they have justification to create yet another "loser" tournament is beyond me.

Oh wait, maybe this is borne from the "everyone gets a trophy" bologna?

 

[UKFan32065]

Big MEH.

So the top 16 teams by NET coming out of three conferences that don't make the Field of 64? I mean. Of those three conferences, most of their GOOD teams usually qualify. That means this will be a bunch of bottom feeder teams that nobody wants to watch.

Agree.

March Mehness just doesn’t have the same appeal for some reason.

 

[Emarc]

The Bahamas Bowl of college bball

 

[chroix]

It's called market saturation.

Fox wouldn't do this unless they counted the beans first.

ESPN had some of the best bean counters in the business and they signed off on a ton of contracts that they are being crushed by right now. A lot of people like to say you’re only as good as your data but the reality is you’re only as good as as your interpretation of the data.

 

[cats2010]

Don’t watch NIT basketball (even the BS years we ended up there). Sure as hell ain’t watching that crap. I lose interest in the NCAAT after we bounce too!!!

 

[UK90]

Because capitalism and greed. Everyone looks to make a buck.

But I still don’t see where the buck will come from.

Tournament revenue is generated from viewer interest, and this would have virtually none. TV ratings would be utterly abysmal, and nobody’s gonna travel or spend beyond a pittance to attend in person. So how is this a money maker?

 

[Mike-McD]

ESPN had some of the best bean counters in the business and they signed off on a ton of contracts that they are being crushed by right now. A lot of people like to say you’re only as good as your data but the reality is you’re only as good as as your interpretation of the data.

You're not paying attention to what I said.

I don't care if it pans out or not, money is the reason it's happening. Fox obviously BELIEVES it will make money on this or they wouldn't do it. Whether or not they're right is irrelevant.

 

[chroix]

You're not paying attention to what I said.

I don't care if it pans out or not, money is the reason it's happening. Fox obviously BELIEVES it will make money on this or they wouldn't do it. Whether or not they're right is irrelevant.

I did pay attention to what you said. Your initial statement is, “Fox wouldn't do this unless they counted the beans first.”

Which would seem to imply that they have it figured out. I countered that point and that point only. Lots of people have thought they had it figured out and been wrong.

Now you’ve shifted it to state that you think they are going to be successful, but might not, which is of course true, but a different position than you had initially seemed to take.

Past that I agree with your assessment @Mike-McD . I’m sure they’ve got some gambling entity lined up as a sponsor to make it profitable or they wouldn’t have done it in the first place.

 

[Padsfs07]

But I still don’t see where the buck will come from.

Tournament revenue is generated from viewer interest, and this would have virtually none. TV ratings would be utterly abysmal, and nobody’s gonna travel or spend beyond a pittance to attend in person. So how is this a money maker?

Again, the NIT draws well. People love watching basketball in March, even on non-NCAA tourney days. That's why they are doing this.

 

[UK90]

Again, the NIT draws well.

The extent to which "the NIT draws well" is quite debatable.

But even taking that presumption, the obvious difference is that NIT games are played on campus on home courts where students/fans don't have to travel to see them, and schools give away tickets for reduced cheap prices for those NIT dates.

But the plan for this tourney is apparently to play the whole thing in Vegas. NOBODY is gonna travel across the country to watch loser teams play in the loser post-season tournament. And folks already in Vegas ain't going either unless the tickets are given away nearly for free.

I see no possible way ...other than maybe giving free tickets to homeless people ...that this tournament would "draw well."

 

[NC Weasel]

The players won't mind a free week in Vegas, some free merch, and the extra NIL money from the sponsors.

Fans rarely need extra incentive to book trips to Vegas, but the money isn't at the gate anyway, its TV and sponsor dollars.

But the BEST thing about this if it happens .......

Its screwing our old pal, those greedy bastards at the NCAA!

Thats the best and only reason I'm for it. The NCAA owns the NIT. The NCAA has screwed up college sports because they were too greedy to make reasonable deals and modifications for players until THE COURTS forced them too. So they can roll area in the mess they made. When the smoke clears they're gonna be kicked back into the 1960s while revenue generating sports leave them behind. Poor, poor leadership.

 

[Ukgold]

I think everyone one of us would watch something like this if they did it in August.

 

[kybloo92]

Best of the rest tourney lol

 

[Fox2monk]

Big MEH.

So the top 16 teams by NET coming out of three conferences that don't make the Field of 64? I mean. Of those three conferences, most of their GOOD teams usually qualify. That means this will be a bunch of bottom feeder teams that nobody wants to watch.

We are gonna have a Northwestern Vs. TCU Juggernaut! A Minnesota vs. Oklahoma slobber knocker.

Why can't they just let the season end for teams that had poor seasons?

They totally unnecessarily expand the NCAAT to 68 teams, while still having the 32 team NIT team field, they then start adding these other weird 16 team tourneys like the CBI ...and now they wanna add yet another just for the big conferences' losers?

Why? Nobody wants to watch all these mediocre to bad teams keep playing past the regular season.

pretty soon every team will make a tournament.

 

[bbncal02]

I think everyone one of us would watch something like this if they did it in August.

Well, yeah. But when you've got a primary NCAA tourney going on AND an NIT for the lackluster teams, and a CBI for the really lackluster teams. there's no reason to even entertain yet another one.

 

[Ukgold]

Well, yeah. But when you've got a primary NCAA tourney going on AND an NIT for the lackluster teams, and a CBI for the really lackluster teams. there's no reason to even entertain yet another one.

A preseason tournament in August could be alot of fun. Maybe take 32 teams Winning team gets NIL money.