March 21, 2024

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Beyond the brackets this March, the possibility of an expanded men’s field is on the minds of many. … The women’s tournament begins Friday on the heels of what has been a banner season for the sport. … The surreal tenure of Long Beach State’s fired coach has finally come to an end. … Plus: More on the media hype around Caitlin Clark, a well-earned coaching raise, Will Wade talking about LSU, and even more ratings increases around college basketball.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]] and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Is Bigger Better? Coaches Divided on March Madness Expansion [[link removed]]

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The men’s NCAA tournament is finally underway, but the future of March Madness is the topic that has dominated discussion among many coaches, of bluebloods and underdogs alike, as teams gather in cities across the country for the opening round of games. Should the tournament expand? That’s the question that’s been top of mind this week after various reports of ideas to grow the field and public comments [[link removed]] were made on the matter by conference commissioners like the SEC’s Greg Sankey and the Big 12’s Brett Yormark.

Kentucky coach John Calipari (above), who won it all in 2012, hopes the 68-team bracket stays in place. “Keep it where it is,” he said ahead of the No. 3 Wildcats’ matchup against No. 14 Oakland on Thursday evening. “Don’t mess with something that’s great.” Fellow SEC coach Rick Barnes agrees. “I don’t think you can ask a team to win more than six games to win a national championship,” he said while previewing No. 2 Tennessee’s first-round matchup with No. 15 Saint Peter’s on Thursday night. “It’s really demanding.”

However, Barnes did admit adding more play-in games—which would likely mean more at-large bids for major conferences—could be worth exploring. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo also feels that some changes should at least be considered. “Everybody likes the upsets in the first weekend, but I’m not sure moving on that’s what’s best for the game,” Izzo said before the No. 9 Spartans beat No. 8 Mississippi State in the tournament’s opening game Thursday afternoon. “I think it’s got to be looked at seriously.”

As for the Little Guys …

Tenth-seeded Colorado State, one of six Mountain West teams to earn a March Madness berth, faces No. 7 Texas on Thursday night after defeating Virginia in the First Four on Tuesday, and Rams coach Niko Medved said eventual expansion simply feels like a formality at this point. “Everybody can read the tea leaves as far as what’s going on,” said Medved, who wants any expansion to not be done too hastily. “I also hope that they continue to find a way to allow access because I think that’s really what makes it special.”

That preservation of access for all Division I schools is a top priority for many others, too. No. 14 Akron coach John Groce, ahead of an eventual loss to No. 3 Creighton on Thursday afternoon, was asked whether mid-major schools like his in the MAC are anticipating the opportunity for additional tournament bids from theoretical expansion. “Obviously we hope that for sure,” he said.

Oakland coach Greg Kampe said he didn’t believe tournament expansion would make it easier for his team—the sole bid from the Horizon League as an automatic qualifier—to go dancing. “The only reason I would be for expansion to the 96, or whatever they’re talking [about], is to keep us in it,” he said. “If that’s the only way we’re going to stay in it, then I’m for it. What I’m saying is don’t keep us out.”

Women’s Hoops Set to Break March Madness Viewership Marks [[link removed]]

USA TODAY

The March Madness action doubles Friday when the women’s NCAA tournament tips off, and a star-studded field led by Caitlin Clark and top-seeded Iowa looks to continue the wild momentum the sport has experienced over the past 12 months.

ESPN, the sole broadcaster of the women’s tournament, had its most-watched regular season of women’s college basketball on the network’s platforms since 2008–09, averaging 476,000 viewers across games on ESPN and ABC. That growth builds on several broken records during the ’23 tournament, including the most-viewed women’s college hoops telecast with 9.9 million viewers for LSU’s victory over Iowa in the final on ABC. In ’23, ESPN also had record viewership for the Final Four weekend as a whole, as well as Elite Eight and Sweet 16 action.

A New Leader?

With the hype around the women’s game still trending up, the possibility of the women’s final (which will be on ABC again) outdrawing the men’s is not that far-fetched. Last year, UConn–San Diego State drew 14.69 million viewers on CBS, the lowest number on record. This year, the men’s final will be broadcast on TBS, and, if it’s another lackluster matchup, the audience could be lower than a final of, say, Iowa against an undefeated South Carolina.

“I definitely think it could happen, and that’s not something I think anybody would have ever thought could happen prior to the last 12 months,” TV ratings expert Jon Lewis tells Front Office Sports. “I don’t think anyone would have ever thought any set of circumstances, any set of matchups would create a situation where the women’s final could outdraw the men.” Lewis, who operates the website Sports Media Watch, believes a close women’s final would have the potential for 13 million viewers, if not even more. “Just the fact that it’s in play is a huge change and a huge win for the women’s game,” he said of the women’s final outdrawing the men’s.

Spread the Love

Clark’s star power has helped plenty of other college sports stakeholders this season, too. The three million people that tuned in for Iowa’s victory in the Big Ten championship game gave CBS the most-watched women’s conference tournament game on any network. This season, Iowa also helped set new viewership marks for Fox [[link removed]] and NBC [[link removed]], and the Hawkeyes were part of some frustration [[link removed]] from fans about Clark’s games getting put on the paywalled Peacock. Meanwhile, research from TV outcomes company EDO shows that women’s college basketball games with Clark playing are 7% more effective for advertisers than games without the Iowa legend.

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LOUD AND CLEAR A Real-Life George Costanza

Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

“I’m a Seinfeld episode going on right now in real life.”

—Dan Monson, during a pre–NCAA tournament news conference Wednesday, on coaching Long Beach State’s men’s team after getting fired March 11. Monson (above, right), who led the Beach to a Big West Conference tournament title and an automatic NCAA bid, explained to reporters that his situation has been “surreal” and that it feels like he’s in the “twilight zone.”

“I don’t have to answer anything I don’t want to because I’m working for free today,” the 62-year-old joked. “Did you see the Seinfeld [episode] when George was trying to get fired and couldn’t lose his job, still going to work every day? That’s me.” Long Beach lost to Arizona in the first round Thursday afternoon.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Iowa ⬆ The Pat McAfee Show will broadcast live from the Iowa City campus Friday, ahead of the Hawkeyes’ first-round game in the women’s NCAA tournament. On Saturday, No. 1 Iowa will host the winner of Thursday night’s Holy Cross–UT Martin First Four matchup before No. 8 West Virginia, where McAfee (above) played from 2005 to ’08, takes on No. 9 Princeton, also at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Fred Hoiberg ⬆ After a run to the Big Ten tournament final, Nebraska has extended its men’s basketball coach until the 2028–29 season. Hoiberg is getting a $1 million annual raise and will make $4.25 million next year.

LSU investigation ⬇ No. 12 McNeese State coach Will Wade, back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021, said he doesn’t think anything good has come from the federal investigation and NCAA violations that led to LSU firing him in ’22. “I think it ruined a lot of people’s lives for very little reason,” Wade said ahead of Thursday’s first-round matchup with Gonzaga.

Selection Sunday ⬆ The men’s and women’s bracket unveilings saw big viewership increases [[link removed]] this year. CBS drew 5.91 million for the men’s show, its largest audience since 2019, and ESPN drew 1.94 million for the women’s, the highest for the event in 20 years.

Conversation Starters LeBron James surprised [[link removed]] Duquesne’s men’s basketball team with shoes before its first NCAA tournament game since 1977. He has a special connection to the Dukes, as they are coached by Keith Dambrot, who coached him in high school. After securing its first NCAA tournament appearance, Grambling State won [[link removed]] its First Four game Wednesday night. The SWAC is set to receive a payout of approximately $2 million over the next several years for the Tigers’ triumph. Nothing to see here: In 2006, CBS introduced the Boss Button alongside its March Madness streams, enabling fans to discreetly hide games and appear to be working if someone happened to glance at their screen. Here’s a peek [[link removed]] at what it looked like in ’12. Editors’ Picks Shohei Ohtani’s Accounts Paid Millions to Illegal Gambling Operation [[link removed]]by Dennis Young [[link removed]]Reporters discovered the payments as part of a federal investigation into an illegal gambling ring. Phillies Join in $2.5 Billion Redevelopment Plan for Philadelphia Sports Complex [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]The club is now involved in the remaking of the stadium area. Ian Eagle Is Ready to Get March Madness Started [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]He succeeds Jim Nantz as the lead play-by-play announcer for CBS and TBS. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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