It is truly a bitter day as I sit and watch my beloved Gonzaga Bulldogs getting pummeled by the top-seeded Syracuse Orange in the NCAA Tournament. My bracket did have this game called in favor of the Orange, but my heart and bracket are very rarely in sync when it comes to the predictions of the NCAA Tournament.

So, why is the field probably going to expand to 96 teams?

Better yet, why has the tournament not done away with 16 seeds all together, since they have never beaten a top seed since the tournament expanded to 64 teams, or 65 teams if you count the “play-in” game.

It just seems obvious that if a 16 seed has never beaten a one seed, then how would a lower seed than that possibly have a chance against a top seed in a tournament?

Trust me, it hurts me the most to say this, considering I was pulling for our Buccaneers against the blue sensation on the court known as John Wall and Co.

It would give way for more teams that are less deserving, from bigger and smaller conferences alike, to play in this tournament for a short while.

There would be instances where a colossal upset would happen. Regardless, those would be happening in much smaller doses than we are being treated to during this tournament.

The games would have less significance with more teams involved and more chances for the Cinderella stories to play out quicker.

More games would go on and since CBS holds the contract to all that is the NCAA, they would have to show fewer games for a smaller amount of time.

Thus, leaving more of us watching in delayed tape with highlights and constant replays on SportsCenter. It is just not the same as experiencing the game in real time.

This change would only further burden the fans that sit and toil with a bracket that fits perfectly on the page and can be transported to the wall as fast as it is printed out.

With a 96-team bracket, the teams would obviously spill over onto a second sheet. They would have to invest more time into flipping over to separate sheets and matching up the games.

More trees would be killed at the expense of more early round teams that have not even earned the right to be playing in this tournament of prestige.

The expansion of the tournament would only benefit those from the business sector.

Unless you are truly intrigued at seeing Idaho, Loyola Marymount or Science Hill High School play against Kansas or Kentucky, there really are no positives from a fan’s perspective in expanding the tournament to a 96-team field.

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