By
Audrey DeAnda
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The Pacific 10 Conference is about to make a huge mistake.
At the end of the month, a proposal for a postseason tournament is going to go before the presidents of each school in the conference.
I love NCAA basketball. The tournament poses a problem, however.
From a fan's point of view, it would be awesome to see more games. From a logical point of view, it's a horrible idea.
A postseason tournament will just waste money and wear out the teams that are going to make the NCAA tournament anyway.
The conference already went this route 10 years ago, but apparently the conference athletic directors' memories are short.
The Pac-10 had a postseason tournament from 1987-88 to 1989-90, but it was abolished because it didn't create the interest that Pac-10 officials were hoping for. Why? Because the Pac-10 Conference champions won it every year.
In my point of view, there are three main things a postseason tournament is supposed to bring to the conference - money, publicity and a chance for more teams from the conference to go to the NCAA tournament.
First of all, a proposed Pac-10 tournament might make the conference money, but it will also cost them a lot of money.
Some say a postseason tournament would give the conference more publicity. Yeah, we'll get coverage - maybe on Fox Sports Net.
The Pac-10 tournament won't be shown on ESPN or CBS.
A postseason tournament is also supposed to give so-called "bubble" teams a chance to get into the NCAA tournament.
But history has shown that when the conference has had a postseason tournament, the same amount of teams still go to the "Big Dance." During the three years of the Pac-10 tournament two teams were sent to the "Big Dance" the first year. Four teams were sent each year after that.
Since the abolition of the tournament in 1990, the Pac-10 has sent at least four teams to the NCAA tournament every year. The exception is 1992-93, when only three teams made it. We're going to send the same amount of teams to the NCAA Tournament with or without a conference tournament.
Schools such as Arizona, Stanford and UCLA have traditionally been against the postseason tournament. In recent months, however, UCLA has begun to cave and with an 8-2 vote needed to pass a tournament, the proposal will likely pass.
So, if the conference wants a tournament, let's have a tournament - it will be great for the fans.
If their record is any indication, the Wildcats will win it every year, and soon everyone will realize - once again - that it's just a waste of time.
