NCAA Hoops: Are Conference Tournaments Necessary?

The debate is simple, are conference tournaments the best way to crown a champion? Should the regular season champion get the automatic bid and the hardware to go home with?

There are plenty of angles to look at. You can analyze how many times a surprise conference winner makes noise in the NCAA tournament. You can research the numerous deserving teams that missed out on the Big Dance because of an upset minded mid-major team.

The bottom line is, sports are entertainment, and the conference tournaments are great entertainment. Sure, if the regular season champion received the automatic bid, it would add more meaning to the regular season. But, a season is supposed to end with a tournament to crown a champion (take notes NCAA football). You play the regular season for seeding (and in some cases, at large consideration), and you crown a champion with a tournament. It's the only way!