NCAA to expand March Madness to 68 teams
Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:58 pmNCAA to expand March Madness to 68 teams
CBS, Turner Broadcasting to share rights under 14-year deal
CBS and Turner Broadcasting will share NCAA Tournament broadcasts on four networks beginning next season under a 14-year, $10.8 billion agreement announced today that also will expand the Tournament field from 65 to 68 teams.
Beginning next year, first- and second-round games will air on CBS over-the-air stations, including KHOU (Channel 11), plus Turner Broadcasting’s TBS, TNT and truTV.
The men’s tournament last expanded in 2001, adding one team to the 64-team field that was set in 1985, and talk of tweaking March Madness again had generated a lot of criticism from fans and bracket-fillers worried about watering down the competition.
The NCAA studied expanding the tournament to 68, 80 or even 96 teams, with the latter option likely enveloping the 32-team NIT. But the NCAA said that the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee unanimously passed the 68-team proposal and it will be reviewed by the Board of Directors on April 29.
CBS and the Turner networks will split coverage of the regional semifinals, and CBS will continue to air the regional finals and the Final Four through 2015. CBS and TBS will alternate the Final Four beginning in 2016.
Turner Broadcasting also will develop the March Madness on Demand online video player, which will continue to be available from CBSSports.com and NCAA.org in addition to Turner- and Time-Warner-owned online platforms.
The agreement increases the average payment to $771 million from the current $710 million paid by CBS, an 8.5 percent increase.
CBS, Turner Broadcasting to share rights under 14-year deal
CBS and Turner Broadcasting will share NCAA Tournament broadcasts on four networks beginning next season under a 14-year, $10.8 billion agreement announced today that also will expand the Tournament field from 65 to 68 teams.
Beginning next year, first- and second-round games will air on CBS over-the-air stations, including KHOU (Channel 11), plus Turner Broadcasting’s TBS, TNT and truTV.
The men’s tournament last expanded in 2001, adding one team to the 64-team field that was set in 1985, and talk of tweaking March Madness again had generated a lot of criticism from fans and bracket-fillers worried about watering down the competition.
The NCAA studied expanding the tournament to 68, 80 or even 96 teams, with the latter option likely enveloping the 32-team NIT. But the NCAA said that the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee unanimously passed the 68-team proposal and it will be reviewed by the Board of Directors on April 29.
CBS and the Turner networks will split coverage of the regional semifinals, and CBS will continue to air the regional finals and the Final Four through 2015. CBS and TBS will alternate the Final Four beginning in 2016.
Turner Broadcasting also will develop the March Madness on Demand online video player, which will continue to be available from CBSSports.com and NCAA.org in addition to Turner- and Time-Warner-owned online platforms.
The agreement increases the average payment to $771 million from the current $710 million paid by CBS, an 8.5 percent increase.
