Editor’s note: This article was originally published by USA TODAY Sports and has been republished in its entirety below.
The expand-the-tournament crowd likes to argue that college basketball’s showcase event should be larger with more games. But sometimes too much of something great is a bad thing. Why water down the best event in sports with more mediocre teams in search of an unlikely upset?
This is where conference tournaments come in. Except in a few leagues where spots are limited, these postseason events should be seen as an extension of the NCAA Tournament.
Teams have the opportunity to win their way into the field of 68 but in an environment away from the bright lights and national television cameras.
That’s for the smaller conferences. In the bigger leagues, the fight mostly is for seeding, though there can be surprises from teams on the bubble.
Without the Ivy League playing this season, there will be 31 tournaments starting at the end of February and extending through Selection Sunday on March 14.
A breakdown of each event where automatic qualification for the tournament can be won (all times Eastern).
Get ready for March Madness by registering in advance for USA TODAY Sports’ bracket sweepstakes. In the meantime, mobile users can play USA TODAY Sports’ Couchketball virtual hoops challenge – the interactive basketball game where your skills determine the outcome.