Tom Izzo didn’t win many hearts and minds with his comments on Wednesday about the NCAA needing to “seriously” look at possibly eliminating the automatic bid for mid-major schools.
Izzo will be making his 26th straight March Madness appearance with the Spartans this year, and the legendary coach has a very firm understanding of the NCAA Tournament
But his words certainly raised some eyebrows.
“I just think what’s happening now, everybody likes the upsets in the first weekend, but I’m not sure moving on that’s what’s best for the game. I think it’s got to be looked at seriously,” Izzo said after making sure to point out his Division II roots.
The selection process for the NCAA Tournament has come under heavy criticism over some of the teams that were left out this season, with Big East teams St. John’s, Seton Hall and Providence drawing some of the biggest outrage locally.
Izzo was not only talking about examining the automatic bids but also expanding the tournament.
He also floated the idea of allowing 100 teams to make the Big Dance.
“I feel for some teams that didn’t get in when you have those automatic bids,” Izzo told reporters. “I’m not sure I understand why, but the conference tournament things, you can go and like Purdue go 17-3 and dominate the conference and then lose. It’s OK if it’s the second-place team, but I think that makes it hard, why some teams will get left out.
“I don’t know if something could be fixed there. But then the conference tournament wouldn’t be as — it’s all about what is best for the financial part of it, if we were to be very blunt and honest with you, more than it is the player and teams.”
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey reignited the debate over the NCAA Tournament as we know it in comments to ESPN and to The Athletic.
In a separate conversation with The Athletic, Izzo clarified that his comments earlier in the day had been misconstrued and that he was “for the little guy.”
“I’m always for the little guy. I just think there are better ways we can do some things,” Izzo told the outlet.
While Izzo said he had not seen Sankey’s comments, he did hear about St. John’s coach Rick Pitino’s desire for more coach voices on the selection committee.
“I think there definitely should be some [former] coaches, players on that thing to bring some levity to as crazy as it’s gotten,” Izzo said during his press conference Wednesday.