Selection Sunday: How it works

March 11, 2012|By Chris Durden | KWCH 12 Eyewitness Sports

(INDIANAPOLIS) — Ten people. Nine men and one woman. That's who selects the 68 teams that will play in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

The group has been working in a conference room on the 15th floor of the Westin Hotel in Indianapolis since Wednesday. Their decisions will be unveiled during the CBS Selection Show Sunday afternoon on KWCH 12.

The ten members of the NCAA Men's Tournament Selection Committee include former Big 12 Commissioner Dan Bebee. The others are Jeff Hathaway (former University of Connecticut AD), Mike Bobinski (Xavier AD), Lynn Hickey (Texas-San Antonio AD), Ron Wellman (Wake Forest AD), Steve Orsini (SMU AD), Doug Fullerton (Big Sky commissioner), Scott Barnes (Utah State AD), Joe Alleva (LSU AD), and Jamie Zaninovich (West Coast Conference commissioner).

A similar group is meeting on the third floor of the hotel deciding the women's bracket. It will be announced on Monday.

Making the Decision

Committee members are sequested in the north wing of the 15th floor. Only the ten members, NCAA staff and select hotel personnel are allowed entry. Family members must give the hotel operator a password in order to call their loved ones. Security guards the elevators and exits.

Committee remembers have briefing books on the teams and their Rating Percentage Indexes (RPI). Each member is responsible for providing information to the group on assigned conferences. The information includes specifics on wins, losses, coaching changes, player suspensions and scheduling or travel issues.

If a member’s school is being discussed, that member must leave the room until the conversation is over.

The 68 bids are split up between 31 conference tournament champions and the regular season champion of the Ivy League. At large bids go to an additional 37 teams.

Once the announcements are made, the work isn't over. Members then fan out across the country to the different game sites to make sure things go smoothly.

Programming Note: Watch a special early edition of Sports Sunday at 9:30pm, immediately following Eyewitness News at 9:00 on the Kansas CW.

Bruce, Jeffrey, Jenn and Grant break down the matchups and look ahead to the Madness that is March in Kansas.

And don't forget to watch Sports Sunday at its normal time, 10:35pm, immediately following Eyewitness News Weekend on KWCH 12.

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