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Going big
NCAA Tournament expansion's in the news again, so how about an announcement you'd like? The Field of 68 has a Opening Day Showcase coming. Plus, Wichita State's overseas addition, Florida's massive freshman and more.
Mike Miller
June 20, 2024
Good morning! And welcome to the official start of summer. I know — it just feels like summer started weeks ago.
Let's get to the news.
1. Announcing ‘The Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase’
Here’s something for college hoops fans who long for a bigger splash to start the season than just a bunch of buy games.
The Field of 68 is partnering with Sanford Sports and the Sanford Pentagon to launch a new, innovative event on the opening day of the college basketball season. On Nov. 4, 2024, the Sanford Pentagon will host “The Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase,” featuring matchups between six of the best programs in college basketball.
The inaugural event features the following matchups:
- Saint Louis vs. Santa Clara
- College of Charleston vs. Southern Illinois
- McNeese State vs. South Dakota State
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. CT, August 1 at ticketmaster.com
The games will be broadcast on The Field of 68’s YouTube Channel and X feeds, and the network’s popular After Dark show will go live from the floor of the Sanford Pentagon at 11 p.m. ET. The times of the games will be released later.
You can read the full release here, which includes quotes from all six coaches and why they chose to participate in the event and the benefit of playing it, as outlined by Charleston AD Matt Roberts. Take note, because this is an important sentiment:
It gives us a neutral site opportunity against a high-quality Quad 1 or Quad 2 opponent,” Roberts said. “I’m really hoping this spurs others to follow and join us in the future.”
One can hope, Matt. Perhaps future seasons will feature several events of this calendar.
2. Report: NCAA tourney expansion scenarios considered
And now, for a bit of news won’t be nearly as popular.
Yahoo! Sports reported Wednesday that NCAA Tournament expansion is back on the table (did it ever really leave?") after officials presented D-I conference officials with two models of an expanded field. One model would feature four additional teams, the other has eight more teams.
