Expanding the Tournament

It appears that the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments will be expanding the number of participating teams beginning this coming season. Some final details still need to be agreed upon, but ESPN reports an official announcement is expected in mid-May.

Since 2011, the field has included 68 teams, and the plan is to increase it to 76. Thankfully, the main 64-team bracket will remain, with games starting on Thursday of the tournament, but more teams will compete earlier that week in the "First" games. The "First Four" games will now increase to 12 and are likely to include more at-large teams from big conferences. 

In 1985, the field doubled from 32 to 64, so this time won't be as large an increase, but this is still a significant expansion. Do fans need more teams and games during March Madness? Will additional teams make the tournament better or worse? Will this take away the importance of the regular season? 

The College Football Playoff has recently expanded to a 12-team field, and so far, it has been an exciting change to the sport. There is still debate over whether they will eventually increase the total field to 14 or 16 teams.

There was some pushback from fans when they went from 4 to 12 teams, but most have loved having more teams involved. Even so, we’re wondering how many teams are too many. Do they really need to expand again?

Meanwhile, the NFL is always in expansion mode, threatening to add more weeks to the season, more international games, and more days on the calendar with games. Are these additions truly beneficial for fans or the players?

Every sport continually considers ways to grow the game and make more money, so it discusses what it can expand, increase, and add. However, decision-makers must be wise when determining what is best for their sport, because expanding in the wrong ways or adding the wrong things can be detrimental.

In our lives as followers of Jesus, we should continually seek ways to grow in our faith and expand our impact. The desire for that kind of increase is a good approach when our motivations are aligned with God’s will and purpose. We want to grow in ways that matter and add the right things to our lives.

2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV) implores us to “...make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul prays this in Philippians 1:9-10 (NLT): “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.”

1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NIV) says, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”

Similarly to sports, there are good ways to expand and grow, while at other times adding something is not wise or the right time. Our challenge is not to get caught up in adding the wrong things to our lives or increasing things that are not beneficial.

We must ask God to show us the best ways to expand and discern when not to add something to our plates. Often, we can be misguided or greedy, wanting more when more isn’t what we truly need.

Jesus says in Luke 12:15 (NLT), “‘Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.’”

Proverbs 30:8-9 (NLT) says, “First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.”

Today, let’s ask God to increase our love for others, expand our impact, and strengthen our faith. As we discern when to say no to unnecessary expansion and increase, let's choose contentment and gratitude over greed.

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the ways You continue to grow my faith. I pray that my knowledge and love for You will continue to increase. Please expand the impact You have on others through me. Thank you for providing for my needs, and please help me be content and grateful. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.