Is the #65th Seed Necessary?

The #64 and #65 teams are necessary for the prestige of the NCAA tournament. A lot of the actions and decisions the tournament committee makes are due to the pageantry of the event.

The NCAA tournament builds itself up as the ultimate Cinderella event. Anything that would help market thing event as that, the NCAA embraces. The Opening Round game winner will most likely be ran out of the gym by a #1 seed, but the fact that they can mark down this win as an actual NCAA tournament victory means a lot to the school who wins. The odds that the winner of the SWAC conference tourney will most likely play in this opening round game. It isn't predetermined that the game will feature a team from the SWAC, but history states there is a strong chance. The SWAC probably enjoys that a member of its conference has a chance to win a tournament game.

I think it's important to smaller teams that the #64 and #65 teams play a game. It builds confidence that leads up to the winner's game against the #1 seed. A #16 seed has never beaten a #1 seed. This game could lead to something like that happening. The only thing the NCAA should think about is naming this game something different than "Opening Round game" or the "Play-In Game." If they could call this the "Ultimate Cinderella Game" or something to that effect, I think the prestige of it would grow as well.