The NCAA's new tournament format

The NCAA drastically changed the format of the NCAA Tournament earlier this month.

No, they didn't add more games, but instead gave the top four seeds in each region more of a home court advantage, thus regionalizing the first and second sub-regional rounds.

For example, Greenville, South Carolina, a now planned South regional site, may have one of its "quads" (group of four teams) of its sub-regional played as a Midwest regional, and another quad played as an East regional site, if nearby schools that are seeded 1-4 are drawn into those regions.

This complication also means that if two No. 1 seeds are from the same conference, it is likely that they will be in the same sub-regional as well. Let's look at last year's first round tournament setup to demonstrate the old format.

East Region Greensboro, NC 1. Duke vs. 16. Monmouth, NJ 8. Georgia vs. 9. Missouri 5. Ohio St. vs. 12. Utah St. 4. UCLA vs. 13. Hofstra

Uniondale, NY 6. Southern Cal vs. 11. Oklahoma St. 3. Boston College vs. 14. Southern Utah 7. Iowa vs. 10. Creighton 2. Kentucky vs. 15. Holy Cross

West Region San Diego 1. Stanford vs. 16. UNC-Greensboro 8. Georgia Tech vs. 9. St. Joseph's, PA 5. Cincinnati vs. 12. BYU 4. Indiana vs. 13. Kent St.

Boise, ID 6. Wisconsin vs. 11. Georgia St. 3. Maryland vs. 14, George Mason 7. Arkansas vs. 10. Georgetown 2. Iowa St. vs. 15. Hampton

South Region Memphis 1. Michigan St. vs. 16. Alabama St. 8. California vs. 9. Fresno St. 5. Virginia vs. 12. Gonzaga 4. Oklahoma vs. 13. Indiana St.

New Orleans 6. Texas vs. 11. Temple 3. Florida vs. 14. Western Kentucky 7. Penn St. vs. 10. Providence 2. North Carolina vs. 15. Princeton

Midwest Region Dayton, OH 1. Illinois vs. 16. Northwestern St. 8. Tennessee vs. 9. Charlotte 5. Syracuse vs. 12. Hawaii 4. Kansas vs. 13. Cal St. Northridge

Kansas City 6. Notre Dame vs. 11. Xavier 3. Ole Miss vs. 14. Iona 7. Wake Forest vs. 10. Butler 2. Arizona vs. 15. E. Illinois

Obviously, there is flawed geography here, with UCLA playing in Greensboro, Maryland and Iowa St. in Boise, and Arizona in Kansas City. Enter the new system, where the regionals would have probably looked like this under the new system, using next year's sites.

East Region Greenville, SC 1. Duke vs. 16. Monmouth, NJ 8. Georgia vs. 9. Missouri

Sacramento, CA 5. Ohio St. vs. 12. Utah St. 4. UCLA vs. 13. Hofstra

Pittsburgh 6. Southern Cal vs. 11. Oklahoma St. 3. Boston College vs. 14. Southern Utah

St. Louis 7. Iowa vs. 10. Creighton 2. Kentucky vs. 15. Holy Cross

West Region Sacramento 1. Stanford vs. 16. UNC-Greensboro 8. Georgia Tech vs. 9. St. Joseph's, PA

Pittsburgh 5. Cincinnati vs. 12. BYU 4. Indiana vs. 13. Kent St.

Washington, DC 6. Wisconsin vs. 11. Georgia St. 3. Maryland vs. 14, George Mason

St. Louis 7. Arkansas vs. 10. Georgetown 2. Iowa St. vs. 15. Hampton

South Region Chicago 1. Michigan St. vs. 16. Alabama St. 8. California vs. 9. Fresno St.

Dallas 5. Virginia vs. 12. Gonzaga 4. Oklahoma vs. 13. Indiana St.

Washington 6. Texas vs. 11. Temple 3. Florida vs. 14. Western Kentucky

Greenville 7. Penn St. vs. 10. Providence 2. North Carolina vs. 15. Princeton

Midwest Region Chicago 1. Illinois vs. 16. Northwestern St. 8. Tennessee vs. 9. Charlotte

Dallas 5. Syracuse vs. 12. Hawaii 4. Kansas vs. 13. Cal St. Northridge

Albuquerque 6. Notre Dame vs. 11. Xavier 3. Ole Miss vs. 14. Iona 7. Wake Forest vs. 10. Butler 2. Arizona vs. 15. E. Illinois

This plan is absolutely perfect. While it is not to the extent of the home court advantage in the women's tournament, it helps out the No. 1-4 seeds, makes better regional final and semifinal matchups, and still provides room for the 5-12, 6-11 and 7-10 upsets that we have all come to know and love.

The new bracketing system should make for more great NCAA Tournaments to come.