First, we debated the topic of NCAA Tournament expansion and now Coach Skinner has weighed in on the issue:
"I can’t be against it because coaches are penalized tremendously for not making the tournament," Skinner said. "To me, too much attention is paid to (making the tournament), but I understand it because everybody needs dollars and it generates dollars. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s about."
While NCAA Tournament expansion doesn't seem very popular with college basketball fans, I think we'll see head coaches continue to come out of the woodwork and throw their support behind an expanded NCAA basketball tournament. An expanded field means more job security for head coaches and athletic directors, not to mention expanding the pie in terms of the event's top line revenue.
But just because Skinner is in favor of an expanded tournament field, that doesn't mean that he believes this decision will be popular with the college basketball fan.
"There’s no question it’s going to risk the popularity of it. But that doesn’t discount that people have bills to pay. If you have bills to pay, guys are going to do what they have to do to generate the income. Will they be able to continue to maintain that source of income to that extent? I don’t know. That’s for someone else to figure out."
Whether you like it or not, I think we'll eventually get to a 96-team NCAA basketball tournament. The "don't mess with best postseason format in sports" ship has sailed when the NCAA expanded the tournament from 64 to 65. I think the money grab and the job security for those ultimately calling the shots will overrule college hoops fans concern of "it it isn't broke, don't fix it."