Name recognition, press favorites, and placing nearby schools in preferred cities does play into the equation. There are schools and conferences given certain advantages, and winning is not always a lone factor.

Is the NCAA still boycotting the State of South Carolina because the Conferderate battle flag (which was removed from atop the state house) is placed at the memorial for the Confederate veterans who lost their lives? Guess the citizens of Charlotte so much enlightened over those in Columbia? More hotel rooms and a larger airport in Charlotte I reckon, and a splendid NEUTRAL site for UNC and Duke.

I was actually going to recommend that the NCAA Tournament return to having first-second round play hosted by the higher seeds (i.e. not "Butler" hosting games at the RCA Dome) but then I remembered the NCAA edict(s) against South Carolina (and possibly Mississippi, Nevada, and Oregon) and scratched the idea...

Obviously certain schools are going to get advantages,and I do think it's outrageous to have a team play within a couple hours of it's home court, especially if it's within the same state. But keep in mind that initial ticket outlays for tourney games are allotted equally among institutions. Plus, the games have to be played somewhere, preferably where they'll accomodate fans and draw crowds. The NCAA would rather sell an extra 10k tickets to UNC fans then not sell 10k tickets total in, say, Boise. It's imperfect but it's the system that brings the NCAA the most $, which in turn is sent back to its member institutions. :-/

There's another thing, though.

Boise sells out on the first day of sale, long before the season even starts.

Albuquerque is pretty close to the same thing. Heck, they sold out the Saturday WOMEN'S session last year. Still the closest I've ever come to sheer pain in my ears.

These out-of-the-NBA western cities sell their seats. I noticed Indy had seats available... yes, yes, I know all about the apples and oranges of comparing 12,400-seat Taco Bell to the RCA Dome.

My bad, there, Pounder, and no offense meant. Boise was the first place that came to mind as a more obscure locale compared to sites with domes or pro arenas.

Personally I'm all for using a lot of out of the way places, and obviously Boise, Albuquerqe and others are doing well because the NCAA keeps coming back. And it certainly does a service to these young minds to explore places they might otherwise never see.

I think the pod system is working out because of how well the ticket sales are doing. Yes, you get the occasional "home court advantage," but I don't think the severity of the conditions warrants wholesale change. There should be oversight to prevent problems like last year where a higher seeded Pitt team had to play a "road game" against (Wisconsin?) in the second or third round. Don't punish teams for there success, per se.

In an alternate bracket, Arizona v Oklahoma State could easily be the national championship game.

Thing is, whatever Arizona can't do outside, they can make up for inside, and vice versa. Oklahoma State might be a quicker version of Arizona, but I'm not sure they're more skilled. Only North Carolina has a true chance of matching up against any of that.

Well, Villanova and Washington have a shooter's chance against anyone. Illinois is probably the most skilled, but I have a problem believing that they can match up with most of these teams once they dispatch W-M.

St. Joseph vs South Carolina in the NIT final. For once, just once, allow the Gamethingys to win a title (this is not the NCAA tourney championship, but a title) in something.

Wake Forest over Vanderbilt.