The “double-bye†received by the top four seeds was a problem on several fronts. First, TV partner ESPN chose not to televise the four opening-round games. That was mainly due to a lack of star power on the Garden’s marquee. Also, the teams with the double-bye felt they sat and watched too long, especially after two of those teams (Connecticut, Pittsburgh) lost, and a third (Villanova) won on a last-second shot.
The alternative format being discussed would rectify both issues. The top four seeds — all of which are most likely to be nationally ranked — will play right away against the bottom four teams. Seeds 5-12 would play on the second day, and the winners from the first two days would advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday. The tournament would continue to finish with a championship game Saturday night.