National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

January 13, 1997

I men's basketball makes tournament changes for '98, '99

Adjustments to tournament competition, site selection and strategies to address gambling topped a packed agenda at the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee's December 16-18 meeting in San Antonio.

Concerned about providing an equal number of days off between games for advancing teams, the committee agreed to schedule all competition in a region on the same days of the week. This change necessitated adjusting some tournament dates in 1998 and 1999. For years after 1999, the bracket was adjusted to ensure an equal number of days off between games.

The changes ensure that each team in the same half of the bracket has the same number of practice opportunities between games. Four sites hosting first- and second-round competition in 1998 and 1999 and four regional sites in 1999 will be affected by the adjustments.

Currently, two teams in a region may finish second-round games on different days. Team A, for instance, may advance to regional competition with a win Saturday. Team B may win its second-round game Sunday. Team B will have one less day to prepare for the regional final with Team A. Travel days also complicate and potentially eliminate practice opportunities.

Following are the cities affected by the switch in dates and the new dates of competition:

1998 first and second rounds

Site -- Current Dates -- New Dates

Landover, -- March 13 and 15 -- March 12 -- -- Maryland -- -- and 14

Atlanta -- March 12 and 14 -- March 13 -- -- -- and 15

Oklahoma -- March 12 and 14 -- March 13

City -- -- and 15

Boise, -- March 13 and 15 -- March 12

-- Idaho -- -- -- and 14

1999 first and second rounds

Site -- Current Dates -- New Dates

Boston -- March 11 and 13 -- March 12 -- -- -- and 14

Milwaukee -- March 11 and 13 -- March 12 -- -- -- and 14

Indianapolis -- March 12 and 14 -- March 11 -- -- -- and 13

Denver -- March 12 and 14 -- March 11 -- -- -- and 13

1999 regionals

Site -- Current Dates -- New Dates

Syracuse, -- March 18 and 20 -- March 19 -- New York -- -- and 21

Knoxville, -- March 19 and 21 -- March 18 -- -- Tennessee -- -- and 20

St. Louis -- March 18 and 20 -- March 19 -- -- -- and 21

Phoenix -- March 19 and 21 -- March 18 -- -- -- and 20

In other action, the committee spent considerable time discussing ways it could be proactive with regard to gambling issues and the negative effect gambling could have on the basketball tournament.

In addition, the committee clarified its language concerning gambling in relation to site selection. Although the committee agreed not to widen the scope of its gambling policy to prevent areas with legalized casino gambling and parimutuel wagering from hosting competition, it will change its language to say: "No session of the championship may be conducted in a metropolitan area with legal wagering that is based upon the outcome of any event (i.e., high school, college or professional) in a sport in which the NCAA conducts a championship."

Such wording limits the scope of gambling to sports wagering without excluding cities or states that have horse racing or casinos that do not promote betting on a sport in which the NCAA conducts a championship.

The committee also adjusted a media credential policy by lowering the minimum daily circulation requirement from 75,000 to 60,000.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Division I Men's Basketball Committee

December 16-18/San Antonio

  • Voted to recommend to the NCAA Administrative Committee that it approve sites for first- and second-round and regional competition in 2000 and 2001 (see story elsewhere on this page).

  • Made several changes in its selection and bracketing procedures (see story elsewhere on this page).

  • Voted to approve further study of a four-quarter format for games after agreeing that the commercial format for a four-quarter game is less disruptive on game action and that the commercial format could require that each media timeout be charged to a team rather than be identified as a television timeout. After receiving more information about the format, the committee will determine if interest warrants a recommendation to the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee.

  • Agreed to two venue changes for the 1998 championship. The MCI Center in Washington, D.C., will replace USAir Arena as a first- and second-round site in the East region. The Georgia Dome will replace The Omni as a first- and second-round site in the South region.

  • Approved ticket allotments for the 1998 Final Four at the Alamodome in San Antonio, as follows: 34 percent to the participating institutions; 28 percent to the general public; 12 percent to the local organizing committee; 11 percent to the NCAA; nine percent to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC); and six percent to Division I schools. Ticket prices in 1998 will be $80 and $100 for the three-game package.

  • Voted to recommend a minimum seating capacity of 30,000 for facilities interested in bidding for the Final Four for a minimum of three years beginning with the 2003 Final Four.

  • Agreed to realign 1999 New Orleans first- and second-round session from the Southeast region to the Midwest and to switch Indianapolis from the Midwest to the South region. In a related move, the committee agreed to rename the Southeast region the South region beginning in 1998.

  • Approved the exploration of expanded coverage of the tournament on the World Wide Web.

  • Received a report from the NABC.

  • Met with officials from CBS Sports.

  • Met with the San Antonio local organizing committee to review plans for the 1998 Final Four.