Fran McCaffery's mediocre 2024 Iowa squad would've made the tournament in the NCAA's new scenario, something Hawkeye fans wouldn't have even wanted.
After years of speculation, the NCAA has finally done the horrendous deed.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Tuesday evening that the NCAA was indeed initiating its ridiculous plan to expand the NCAA tournament field to 76 teams, with the hopes of officially announcing it by mid-May.
The once-perfect structure of 68 teams (some even argue 64 was the perfect number), will now be a distant memory. By the time the calendar flips to 2027 and we look towards the Final Four in Detroit, a new-look field of 76 teams will have a chance to secure college basketball's ultimate prize.
NCAA officials will be enjoying the tournament in the comfort of their private suites, but here's the problem.
The fans didn't ask for change.
The coaches didn't ask for change.
The players didn't ask for change.
Heck, even the media didn't ask for change.
I said something similar a few weeks ago after the NCAA vacated four of Iowa football's victories in 2023 because of the Cade McNamara tampering scandal, but I'm going to say this again.
RELATED STORY: Kirk Ferentz Has Every Right to Be Frustrated with the NCAA
The NCAA only cares about money and nothing else. Why else would it expand the greatest sporting event in this country? March Madness is a special event, but the whole college basketball season is March Madness in my opinion.
Teams are battling to earn a selection to the invite-only tournament, and expanding the field completely diminishes the late-season bubble team vs. bubble team matchups that we all are watching on the edge of our seats at 10 p.m.
That may still be the case under this new format, but welcome to the world of 17-15 teams making the NCAA tournament (I'm looking at you Indiana and Auburn).
Iowa easily qualified for the 68-team field this year (No. 9 seed), but its 2024 squad that deserved to miss the NCAA tournament would've probably earned a play-in spot under this new system. The Hawkeyes went a respectable 18-13 in the regular season, but losing to bad Michigan, Maryland (twice), and Penn State teams was ultimately what kept Iowa out of the Dance that season.
Hawkeye fans were definitely frustrated with the what-ifs that season brought, but they weren't really bummed in the grand scheme of things. This was Fran McCaffery's penultimate season at the helm, and missing the NCAA tournament gave Iowa fans another reason to lose interest in their program. Record-low attendance numbers followed in 2025, leading to McCaffery being replaced by Ben McCollum.
That turned out to be a pretty good decision by Iowa, but that's beside the point. The 2024 Hawkeyes didn't deserve an NCAA tournament bid for not beating some of the worst teams in their conference and that's what they got.
There's no reason why mediocre Power Four teams should earn more at-large berths to the NCAA tournament. You either play your way into the Dance, or you play your way out of it. It's that simple.
Expanding the NCAA tournament is just another giant catastrophe by the NCAA.
Looking for a FREE Hawkeyes community?
Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join.
Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected!
Missed the Caitlin Clark jersey giveaway?
No problem! Become a FREE HawkeyeRoundtable community member today to have a chance to win future Hawkeye prizes! We'll continue the giveaways throughout the year and may or may not have one coming later this month, so stay tuned!
HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io