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Time For a BBS and a BCS
Columnist argues for dividing college basketball into two subdivisions to create more fairness in the NCAA tournament selection process.
Mar. 17, 2026 at 4:44pm
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The author believes it is unfair when a team with a losing record makes the NCAA tournament while a team with a much better record is left out. To address this, the author proposes creating a "BBS" (Big Basketball Subdivision) and a "BCS" (Big College Subdivision) in college basketball, similar to the FBS and FCS in football. This would allow the NCAA tournament to be more equitable, with the BBS getting the majority of bids and the BCS having its own separate tournament.
Why it matters
The current NCAA tournament selection process is seen by many as unfair, with weaker teams from smaller conferences sometimes making the tournament over stronger teams from major conferences. Restructuring college basketball into two subdivisions could help address this issue and make the tournament more representative of the best teams.
The details
The author uses the examples of Penn, Auburn, and Wake Forest to illustrate the problem. Penn, an 18-11 team, made the NCAA tournament as the Ivy League champion, while Auburn and Wake Forest, both 17-16, were relegated to the NIT. The author argues this is unfair, as the Ivy League is not a major conference like the SEC or ACC. The author also cites the 1989 case where St. John's was left out of the NCAA tournament while Robert Morris, a 21-9 team, made it as the Northeast Conference champion. To fix this, the author proposes creating a BBS and BCS, with the BBS getting the majority of NCAA tournament bids and the BCS having its own separate tournament. The author also suggests giving priority to conference tournament runners-up over semifinalists and quarterfinalists to discourage teams from "dogging it" in their conference tournaments.
- In 1989, St. John's was not in the NCAA tournament while Robert Morris, a 21-9 team, made it as the Northeast Conference champion.
The players
Penn
An 18-11 team that made the NCAA tournament as the Ivy League champion.
Auburn
A 17-16 team that was relegated to the NIT.
Wake Forest
A 17-16 team that was relegated to the NIT.
St. John's
A 20-13 team that was left out of the 1989 NCAA tournament.
Robert Morris
A 21-9 team that made the 1989 NCAA tournament as the Northeast Conference champion.
What’s next
If President Trump wants to bolster his sagging approval ratings, he will seriously consider creating a federal Department of Sports, which will have the final say on matters like this.
The takeaway
The current NCAA tournament selection process is seen as unfair by many, with weaker teams from smaller conferences sometimes making the tournament over stronger teams from major conferences. Restructuring college basketball into two subdivisions, a BBS and a BCS, could help address this issue and make the tournament more representative of the best teams.
