A Peek at March Madness in February of Top 16 Seeds
NCAA selection committee to reveal top 16 seeds on February 11.
The NCAA announced on February 7 that the selection committee will post the top 16 seeds in the four regions of the tournament.
This is a first time for a projected seeding in the March tournament by the selection committee. The top 16 teams from the four regional locations will be based on their current status as of February 11. It is similar to college football rankings leading to the bowl games during the holidays.
The NCAA is promoting it as a prelude to the tournament bracket selection in March. The 16 teams will be revealed during the Saturday broadcast on CBS. A healthy dose of March Madness is being promoted a month before lift-off. It is not that the NCAA tournament needs any additional reminder of the upcoming elimination tourney. It is already established as the ultimate sports tournament for crazy upsets, thus the name March Madness.
It does present a yardstick and a glimpse into what the selection committee is thinking and feeling at this point in the season. A lot can change in a month with conference rivalries and separate conference tournaments to guide the selection committee on selection Sunday. This early posting of the top 16 teams will be close to the final bracket selections.
The early look at the selection committee top 16 seeds is a good idea to give everybody some insight before the regular season ends and the madness begins.
It is a good marketing ploy by the NCAA to generate some buzz earlier than usual. There is a vacuum after the Super Bowl frenzy subsides that needs to be filled by the next big event. March Madness is that event and will dominate the sports scene for a month. It will be a month of 68 teams being slimmed down from Thursday to Sunday each week until there are 4 left standing. It is dramatic and unpredictable.
The history of previous tournaments every March is well documented as the favorite team graveyard. Each match-up is likely to surprise the better teams who are expected to win. The fan frenzy reaches new heights every week when their teams moves to the next level after beating a lower seeded team — like a 14 seed beating the 3 seed, major upset.
While the Las Vegas sports books are recovering from the Super Bowl betting records and huge crowds to handle, there is no rest for the weary.
March Madness is a boom for the Nevada books especially in Las Vegas, where most of the big sports books are located. The books were prepared for the betting mayhem and huge turnout from the aggressive bettors during Super Bowl week. It was one day and one game. The buildup was all they could handle and did it well.
However, the one redeeming factor is the March tournament is nicely spread out for the books to get their lines ready for the schedule. The Thursday to Sunday games are in different time zones and adjustments are made when results are final. The oddsmakers usually have a better handle on posting solid lines for the next round.
The books should do very well with all the spread out betting on different teams. It will be more profitable than the Super Bowl and generate a betting handle around the $200 million dollar range. The combination of betting opportunities and the tournament format is the best attraction for bettors to pick their teams over this long betting period.
