I haven't watched but from what I hear the NBA is having success playing in a bubble. It is sounding like the NFL may follow suit this fall.
Realistically, there are several problems with the "playing in a bubble" model for CFB including:
- FB rosters are substantially larger than BB rosters and on top of that college rosters are larger than pro rosters anyway. NBA teams are allowed 15 players, NFL teams are allowed 53, CFB teams have 85 on scholarship plus dozens of walk-ons and whatnot. It is a HUMONGOUS number of people to try to keep on lockdown.
- College players are at least supposed to be "Student Athletes". Playing their sport isn't the only thing they are supposed to be doing.
- For a regular season we are talking something like 14+ weeks to keep this lockdown in effect.
I was thinking about it and it seems to me that these problems are substantially reduced for CBB's post-season:
- NCAABB rosters are MUCH smaller than NCAAFB rosters.
- If you are only doing the post-season it is three weekends: 1) the 'round of 64' and the 'round of 32'; 2) the S16 and the E8; 3) the F4. Also, it is only three weekends for the four teams that make it to the final four. For another 12 teams (that make the S16 but not the F4) it is two weekends and for the other 48 (or 52) it is just one weekend. The impact of that on students would be minimal, not much worse than the normal tournament and probably less than a normal season.
- You could keep the lock-down in effect for two weeks before then the one, two, or three weeks of the tournament.
I'm thinking ratings would be at an all-time high. How starved for college sports are we?
Side idea:
I'd temporarily expand the tournament for this year due to bubble teams not having the opportunity to play their way in in their conference tournaments. Thus, I'd implement my long-time suggestion and go to 80 teams for this year only, 20 in a region and expand it to four weekends:
Weekend #1 (four cities, one arena in each, four games in each city):
- 13 v 20
- 14 v 19
- 15 v 18
- 16 v 17
That gets you down to 64 teams, then:
Weekend #2 (Eight cities like normal, one arena in each city, two pods in each arena, three games in each pod/six games in each arena):
#1 seed pod:
- #1 v 16/17
- #8 v #9
- winners play
#2 seed pod:
- #2 v 15/18
- #7 v #10
- winners play
#3 seed pod:
- #3 v 14/19
- #6 v #11
- winners play
#4 seed pod:
- #4 v 13/20
- #5 v #12
- winners play
That gets you down to 16 teams, then:
Weekend #3 (Four cities like normal, one arena in each city, three games in each arena):
- #1/8/9/16/17 v #4/5/12/13/20
- #2/7/10/15/18 v #3/6/11/14/19
- winners play
That gets you down to four teams, then:
Weekend #4 (One city, one arena, three games):
- The usual F4 set-up, two games Saturday, CG on Monday
To maintain the lock-down I'd put the NCAA in charge of enforcing it under penalty of forfeiture for the entire team of any player who fails to comply.
That would give you 79 CBB games:
- 16 games the first weekend
- 48 games the second weekend
- 12 games the third weekend
- 3 games the fourth weekend
Why not?