BET expands to all 16 teams next year

The Big East Conference announced today that its men's and women's conference championship tournaments will expand from 12 to all 16 teams, beginning next year for the 2008-2009 season.

The conference presidents met yesterday in Philadelphia to review the tournament format, said Big East Commissioner Michael Tranghese. “After extensive deliberation," he said, "it was decided that inviting all teams to participate would provide a special opportunity to every men’s and women’s basketball student-athlete.”

The expanded tournament requires a new seeding format. All 16 teams will be seeded, and teams 9-16 will play on the first day in Madison Square Garden: 9 v. 16, 10 v. 15, 11 v. 14, and 12. v. 13.

The winners of those games will advance to the second day, where they will meet seeds 5-8. The bracket will not be reseeded if there are upsets on day one, so the team seeded 8 will always get the 9/16 game winner. Seed 7 will get the 10/15 survivor, seed 6 will get the 11/14 winner, and seed 5 will play the winner of the 12/13 game.

The top four teams will be automatically seeded into the quarterfinals on day three. The #1 team will play either the 8, 9, or 16 seed in its first game. The #2 team will face either the 7, 10, or 15 seed. The #3 team gets the 6, 11, or 14 seed. The #4 team must play either the 5, 12, or 13 seed.

The expanded tournament will allow every Big East team the chance to make the NCAA tournament no matter what its regular-season record is, and should make for a more exciting conference tournament as well.

The larger bracket will also make it that much more imperative for teams to secure good seedings and lock up one or two byes:

• Seed 16: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 9 ⇒ 8 ⇒ 1 ⇒ 4, 5, 12, 13 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 15: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 10 ⇒ 7 ⇒ 2 ⇒ 3, 6, 11, 14 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 14: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 11 ⇒ 6 ⇒ 3 ⇒ 2, 7, 10, 15 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 13: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 12 ⇒ 5 ⇒ 4 ⇒ 1, 8, 9, 16 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 12: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 13 ⇒ 5 ⇒ 4 ⇒ 1, 8, 9, 16 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 11: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 14 ⇒ 6 ⇒ 3 ⇒ 2, 7, 10, 15 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 10: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 15 ⇒ 7 ⇒ 2 ⇒ 3, 6, 11, 14 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 9: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 16 ⇒ 8 ⇒ 1 ⇒ 4, 5, 12, 13 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 8: One bye. Must win four games.
  Path: bye ⇒ 9, 16 ⇒ 1 ⇒ 4, 5, 12, 13 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 7: One bye. Must win four games.
  Path: bye ⇒ 10, 15 ⇒ 2 ⇒ 3, 6, 11, 14 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 6: One bye. Must win four games.
  Path: bye ⇒ 11, 14 ⇒ 3 ⇒ 2, 7, 10, 15 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 5: One bye. Must win four games.
  Path: bye ⇒ 12, 13 ⇒ 4 ⇒ 1, 8, 9, 16 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 4: Two byes. Must win three games.
  Path: bye ⇒ bye ⇒ 8, 9, 16 ⇒ 4, 5, 12, 13 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 3: Two byes. Must win three games.
  Path: bye ⇒ bye ⇒ 6, 11, 14 ⇒ 2, 7, 10, 15 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 2: Two byes. Must win three games.
  Path: bye ⇒ bye ⇒ 7, 10, 15 ⇒ 3, 6, 11, 14 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 1: Two byes. Must win three games.
  Path: bye ⇒ bye ⇒ 8, 9, 16 ⇒ 4, 5, 12, 13 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.

The Big East Tournament for 2007-2008 will remain the same as recent years, with the top four teams earning byes, and the bottom four teams not invited to the tournament.