Let’s face it, Colorado’s at-large tournament possibilities were over by Valentine’s Day.
At 17–14 heading into the Big 12 Tournament, the reality had already set in. The path had already closed. Their only hope was to win the conference tournament.
There was no real debate, no late push that could change the outcome. That’s what makes the idea of a 76-team NCAA Tournament expansion so compelling in Boulder.
Because in that format, Tad Boyle and the Colorado Buffaloes wouldn’t have been finished. Their season would have just been entering its most important stretch.
And it’s not just about one season. Since 2019, Colorado has had two 20-win seasons that still ended in the NIT instead of the NCAA Tournament. A third likely would have followed in 2020 if not for the late cancellation of postseason play due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The difference between 68 and 76 teams isn’t just eight extra spots. It’s the removal of that perceived hard line that separates squads on the bubble worth discussing from teams already dismissed.
But imagine last season with a little more flexibility. A couple of wins in the Big 12 Tournament and suddenly the Buffaloes are sitting at 19 or even 20 wins. In the current system, that likely still falls short. In an expanded field, it’s a real case, especially when you factor in the grind of a power conference schedule.
And that’s where Boyle’s group stands to benefit most. The Buffaloes are rarely a team that runs through a conference, but they are just as rarely overwhelmed. They hang around. They stay competitive. They give themselves chances late in the season.
It also creates a path for teams like Auburn Tigers men’s basketball, which finished 16–16 in the regular season while navigating one of the toughest schedules in the country. In the current format, that résumé sparks debate. In an expanded tournament, it likely earns inclusion.
For years, the committee has talked about rewarding strength of schedule and quality competition. Expansion would finally give them the flexibility to follow through.
Instead of needing a breakthrough moment last postseason just to stay alive, the Buffaloes would have a pathway to play their way into the field. And that’s all programs in that tier are asking for.
Because in a 68-team bracket, Colorado’s season was over before the real conversation began. In a 76-team field, it could have been a part of it.
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