My Bright Idea for the NIT

I have been pondering a way to make the National Invitational Tournament actually mean something. The way things are currently, the NIT invites 32 teams that the NCAA Tournament closed the door on. For the true basketball junkie or dedicated fan, it is still an interesting tournament albeit a far cry from the Big Dance. Outside that circle of basketball crazies, however, the NIT goes on barely noticed.

As a Kentucky Wildcat fan, I have never spent a great deal of time being concerned about anything other than the NCAA Tournament. That thought process has shifted a little this season as the Wildcats have had a very discouraging season and will find themselves hosting an NIT game tomorrow night. Like any True Blue fan would do, I started developing ways that would have still given Kentucky a chance to make the Big Dance. I came up with this little plan that would serve a dual purpose. First, it would make the NIT interesting and give it some validity and value. Secondly, it would leave me with a little hope and give my Cats another opportunity to make the NCAA tourney.

Here is my Einstein-esque plan:

I think there should be no changes made to the conference season and tournaments. When the conference tournaments conclude, I think Selection Sunday should continue as planned. The only changes I make here are to scrap the play-in game and only select 60 teams. The 60 teams will consist of conference tourney champions, NCAA locks and the top-tier bubble teams. There will be four spots left blank on the 64-team bracket. There will be a 10-seed, a 12-seed and two 13-seed spots left open; or something along those lines.

Immediately following the NCAA Selection Show, the national audience tunes in to the NIT Selection Show. The NIT Selection Committee chooses 32 teams consisting of regular season conference champions that did not win their tournaments and all NCAA bubble teams that failed to make the NCAA Tournament.

Are you with me so far?

Ok, now 92 teams have been selected, including all conference regular season and tournament champions, all NCAA locks and all bubble teams. This selection method would actually get every bubble team and even a few that would be less-than-deserving into post-season play.

Beginning the Tuesday after the selection shows, the NIT tips off at the higher-seeded campus sites. The tournament is played as it is now, with a twist. The four teams that make it to Madison Square Garden not only compete for the NIT Championship, but also earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The NIT Championship team will earn the empty 10-seed slot in the NCAA Tournament. The runner-up will be placed in the 12-seed position. The other two semifinalists will be pushed into the two remaining slots - perhaps as 13-seeds.

The following week, on Thursday, the NCAA Tournament tips off as always.

The advantages I can think of in this proposed plan:

- All bubble teams will have a fair opportunity to play their way into the NCAA Tournament
- All conference regular season and tournament champions earn at least a chance, making the regular season games even more important
- The NIT becomes critical and increases in popularity
- The tournament would actually consist of 64 quality teams that earned the right to be there
- More television exposure for teams that would be left out using the current system
- More quality, or at least important, basketball games for the fans
- Less is more with Lunardi and the other "Bracketologists"
- No complaining by Dick Vitale that ______ was totally overlooked and wronged
- Teams like Kentucky this year would still have a shot, even though they had a disappointing season

Potential disadvantages:

- There would be a week-long delay before the NCAA Tournament would begin
- If the NIT Champion were to make a magical NCAA run, they could potentially play 11 extra games which could be pushing it
- There would still be bickering about the original at-large teams and the teams that felt they deserved to make the original cut

- *The NIT just becomes another part of the NCAA tournament and loses its own prestige. The NIT would no longer be its own entity.

- *Playing this many games would give teams with depth a definate competitive advantage.

Well, that's my brainstorm for the week. What are your thoughts on this idea?

* Thanks to Westsider on BluegrassPreps.com for adding these thoughts!