ESPN drops CAA from Bracketbusters

An interesting story broke yesterday involving sports TV giant ESPN and CAA basketball. ESPN is dropping CAA from their annual Bracketbusters event that takes place one weekend every February. The CAA did not receive an invite for the 2012-2013 series due in part to their new TV deal that involves leaving ESPN and going all in with NBC sports for coverage of games instead. The move makes sense for the CAA though because after this new TV deal why give a competing network prime coverage of key games in February. 

The whole Bracketbuster event was originally designed to give mid-majors another non-conference game that could help their resumes' before Selection Sunday. However the event has morphed into a different animal recently and last season over 100 teams were in the event. For all by a handful of teams it doesn't do much good besides providing unnecessary, costly games for smaller programs. The interruption of conference games during an important part of the season is something I don't think most CAA fans or coaches for that matter, will miss. 

Sure George Mason and VCU's wins over Wichita State in 2006 and 2011 in the event certainly helped get them in the NCAA tournament during those seasons. But it's not like they couldn't have scheduled a home and home series with any such MVC team or another top mid-major without ESPN's help. Some of ESPN's match-ups in recent years have been head scratching decisions, and the event certainly didn't give Drexel much help this year.

Hopefully the Missouri Valley leaves the event too. Wouldn't a CAA/MVC challenge be a better event anyway? Are you listening NBC?