The Mid-Major Dilemma: Perceived Legitimacy and the NCAA Men\u27s Basketball Tournament

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year for many Americans. Over 350 teams from across the country fight to play on the biggest stage in college basketball. Some teams automatically qualify and others have to wait to receive at-large bids. This presentation will discuss how the perceived legitimacy of college basketball programs impacts teams receiving an at-large bid into the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. My presentation explores specific factors that can influence the perceived legitimacy of NCAA Division I men’s mid-major basketball programs. It will specifically focus on how reputation and tradition impact perceived legitimacy of college basketball programs. This topic is important to explore and discuss because of not only the financial impacts of getting into and performing well in the National Tournament for individual universities, their programs, and their entire conference, but also the otherwise inaccessible exposure for universities and programs of mid-major size