The ACC obviously has made some moves to include teams during this pandemic, most notably our Irish joining as “full fledged” football members, albeit just for 2020 at the moment. This morning news was released that the ACC will propose to the NCAA to allow all teams to participate in March Madness.
Source: All ACC programs agreed earlier today to have every single Division 1 team in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Several are expected to release official statements later today.
This is being done to "celebrate" college basketball. https://t.co/wuCMZ8QLtE
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 9, 2020
This is out of the ordinary and just doesn’t make much sense to me. It is a earned experience to qualify for the NCAA tournament, not a sign-up and you’re in type of event. I hate this idea, it would be like every football team being bowl eligible. It’s a hard pass for me, you have to earn it.
Notre Dame coach Mike Brey to @TheAthleticCBB on proposal for an all-inclusive NCAA Tournament:
"It's just so fair to let student-athletes be part of it after all the unknown they have been through and will be in the future."
Likens it to the old Indiana HS state tournament.
— Brian Hamilton (@_Brian_Hamilton) September 9, 2020
Irish men’s basketball head coach Mike Brey agree’s as you can see, but what is fair about life in general? Nothing typically. Degree’s are earned, just because you pay tuition doesn’t mean you will graduate. Positions with Fortune 500 companies aren’t just given out to anyone, they’re given to qualified people who worked hard to achieve that status.
I don't mean to denigrate Kennesaw State, but they went 1-28 last season. So if the ACC's proposal was ratified last year, Kennesaw State would have automatically qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
— Kyle Boone (@Kyle__Boone) September 9, 2020
This idea just doesn’t sit well with me and it’s a move that weakens college basketball. As much as we all root for a 16-seed to knock off a 1-seed, there won’t be this kind of action if all teams are included. How long would this all teams tournament last? With COVID-19 still rampaging through college campus’, would a bubble work for every single team or location? Think about the cost of travel expenses for teams. Logistically, I’m not sure it would work. Either way, it’s a terrible idea and the NCAA Tournament should stay status quo, just like what the College Football Playoff is doing for the football season.