Apr 22, 2010 3:53:49 PM

The NCAA signed on the dotted line with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting for the rights to present the Division I Men's Basketball Championship for the next 14 years, but the size of the tournament field remains in flux until the April 29 meeting of the Division I Board of Directors.

The Division I Men's Basketball Committee recommended a move from the current 65-team bracket to a 68-team field, which would round out the opening-round games in all four regions. The Board is expected to consider the recommendation and make its decision next week. NCAA Interim President Jim Isch said Thursday's announcement is not contingent on any decision made by the Board.

The Board will consider how bracket expansion would affect student-athletes, regular-season competition and the college basketball overall, as well as the impact on the tournament.

Much of the talk leading up to Thursday's announcement centered on a field that would expand to 96 teams, though NCAA officials made it clear that no decision had been made. Greg Shaheen, NCAA senior vice president for basketball and business strategies, explained the phenomenon this way: Of the three options explored, a 65-team field attracted little notice because it is the current model. A discussion of a 68-team field was also brief because it was easily understood. Most of the attention went to the 96-team model because it was the most complicated.

"A number of people assumed we were going to the 96 (teams), when in fact we were conducting our due diligence," Isch added during Thursday's announcement. "At no time were we trying to push a particular position, but to make certain that our members were educated and would be in a position to make a decision at the end of April."

If the 68-team field is approved by the Board, the Division I Men's Basketball Committee will spend the next few months working on the structure of the field, with the goal of having it finalized by mid-summer. The committee would still have the responsibility for selecting, seeding and bracketing the field.

The process for adding the three teams remains to be determined, though possible options include pairing the eight lowest-ranked teams or the final eight teams selected to the tournament field for the four opening-round games. The committee will consider fairness, economy of travel, team placement and missed class time when designing the structure for any expansion.

Both broadcast partners indicated they were satisfied with the financial and programming elements of the deal and did not "need" 96 teams to justify the increased value of the contract. David Levy, president of Turner Sports, said his company would not have signed the deal if it was not beneficial to all parties.

"We all know that marquee sporting events are expensive propositions," he said. "But we also know that it's must-see programming that drives audiences, drives ratings growth, drives advertising and drives distribution revenue," he said. "All those factors led to why we are entering into this agreement."

However, CBS Sports President Sean McManus acknowledged that the contract does have the flexibility to accommodate further expansion if that happens.
The NCAA has sole discretion to expand or contract championships as it sees fit. Expansion decisions are made based on the assessment of the current circumstances within each sport. Over the last 10 years, 75 of the NCAA's 88 championships have expanded, providing more championship opportunities for student-athletes. The men's basketball championship expanded to 65 teams in 2001.