Duplicitous NCAA About To Expand Tournament After 2010 Dance Proved it isn’t Needed

Jim Delany, the Big Ten commissioner, was recently asked about the expansion of the NCAA tournament. He commented, “Probable.” This past weekend at the

Jim Delany, the Big Ten commissioner, was recently asked about the expansion of the NCAA tournament. He commented, “Probable.” This past weekend at the Final Four, the joking around the press room was the fact that, of course, Delany would be the one to come out publicly and make sure people would know it was an almost certainty. He loves the attention. (Here is a great article to put Delany in perspective)

 

This man who has made his opposition to a college football playoff almost a feather in his cap with his ability to keep it from happening, almost assuredly wanted the press for being an early bird on the expansion of the dance. He has been publicly coy on the issue, but make no mistake, if he didn’t want it then it couldn’t happen.

 

Why should Delany not be for an expansion? In my opinion, he doesn’t care if the fans want a playoff, and with most fans against an expansion of the dance this allows him to continue to side against the fans. That’s not a shock.

 

So why can’t football add a playoff? It would be too much on the kids? Well, schedules have gone from 10 games to 11 and now they go as high as 13 without the bowl game. So we care (allegedly) about the kids in football, but it doesn’t matter with basketball?

 

This past tournament is the clear example of why it shouldn’t be expanded. Make no mistake it will be, because in the end, in my opinion, what drives these folks is money. It has NOTHING to do with kids; it has to do with money. Why will it pass? Because all signs point to Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany signing off on it. His contract with the Big Ten ends in 2013.  Perhaps then things will change in college sports.