March Madness is upon us, forget everything you hear about Christmas  — this is the most wonderful time of the year. 
The passion and all-around craziness that comes with this month is unmatched by any sporting event in the country.  Teams from all around the U.S. vie for their chance to get invited to the “Big Dance.”

A large chunk of that craziness comes from conference tournaments.  While many people, myself included, look forward to these tournaments, others regard them as excessive and unnecessary.  In my opinion, those critics couldn’t be more mistaken. 

When conference tournament time rolls around, there is a renewed sense of optimism that surrounds every team, regardless of their regular season record.  After the Idaho men’s team beat San Jose State Tuesday night on a Keoni Watson jumper, my roommate and I were on our feet cheering like the Vandals had won a national championship.  Before the tournament, any talk of Idaho — with only three wins on the season — making a run for the NCAA Tournament would have been nothing short of ludicrous.  Now, however, who knows what could happen?  Sure, they play nationally ranked Nevada on Thursday — so any talk of a tournament run is basically still ludicrous — but there’s a sense of hope.

That’s the thing that critics of conference tournaments just don’t seem to understand.  They argue the extra games after the regular season diminish the importance of the regular season.  They point out instances where small-conference teams that win the regular season championship fail to win their tournament and don’t get a bid to the big tournament.  Those critics neglect to mention that by virtue of winning the regular season crown, those teams typically get to host the championship game.

Watching the desperation that teams play with when they know they are a win or two away from the NCAA Tournament is the most enjoyable part of these games.  Many of the players from smaller teams are playing on ESPN for the first time all year. For some, it may be the first time in their lives. 
By advancing to the championship game and its national broadcast not only is there the opportunity to advance but also a chance to quiet the doubters in their lives.  Whenever these players tell their friends, “Yeah, I play Division I basketball,” there’s surely someone in the group that adds, “Yeah, for Niagara.” 

What is that guy going to say when he sees his buddy on ESPN cutting down the nets?
Without conference tournaments many of the classic Cinderella stories would have ended without even the chance to start.

Would the North Carolina State Wolf Pack have been able to shock Houston and “Phi Slamma Jamma” without first winning the ACC Tournament in 1983?  Jim Valvano’s squad had 10 losses that year and it took a season ending 13-2 run that included the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament to win it all.  Without the ACC Tournament, we never would have seen Lorenzo Charles’ last-second dunk that skyrocketed “March Madness” into its present day phenomenon.
More recently, the lack of a conference tournament would have doomed Weber State in 1999.  You may remember Weber State as the 14th seed that ended the University of North Carolina’s 19-year streak of advancing past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Harold “The Show” Arceneaux dropped 36 points on the Tar Heels in one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history. I can guarantee that without the Big Sky Conference’s automatic bid “The Show” would have been cancelled.

My personal favorite Cinderella moment in March Madness came at the hands of a small conference automatic bid winner.  Tiny Valparaiso of the Mid-Continent Conference made a run to the Sweet 16 in 1998.  That couldn’t have happened without the coaches’ son, Bryce Drew, nailing a desperation catch-and-shoot-as-fast-as-possible leaner to topple 4th-seed Mississippi. 
Who can forget Drew catching, shooting and then diving on the floor after it went in to bask in the glory of what had just happened?  The play Valpo ran to get that bucket was one they had practiced all year without ever using it in a game.  Thanks to the conference tournament system we all got to see it for the first time together.

Quite frankly, these conference tournaments are a win-win-win situation for everyone involved.  The conferences and television networks make a hefty sum of cash.  This year teams like Stanford, Florida State, Kansas State and Michigan State get the chance to play their way into the “Big Dance.”

 Plus, I get to spend my weekdays waking up at 9 a.m. to watch college basketball.  So lighten up those of you that condemn conference tournaments, enjoy the gift of extra college basketball and think of it as spring training for the “real thing” next week.

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