Kevin Keatts and North Carolina State secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament in the traditional way. They did it without relying on methods like the bubble, bracketology, or NET rankings. Instead, they earned their spot by winning the conference tournament, which used to be the only path to March Madness.
N.C. State won five consecutive games to clinch the Atlantic Coast Conference’s automatic bid. As the 11th seed, they extended their winning streak to seven games and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in almost ten years.
Their journey has been exhilarating but tiring, and it has been a lifeline for many coaches. However, Keatts remains firm in his belief that the tournament should be expanded beyond its current 68-team format.
In a time when over half of Division I football programs qualify for bowl games, Keatts feels it’s unfair that more than 80% of Division I basketball schools miss out on March Madness. He believes expanding the tournament would provide more opportunities for schools to participate.
Keatts is not alone in his opinion, as many others are also advocating for tournament expansion.
