re: Spinoff: NCAA Tournament Invites, Elite Eights, Sweet Sixteens by SEC schools

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Marquette's 1974 National Championship game appearance and top ten finishes from 1969 through 1977 might disagree.

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Thats fine. But we are talking NCAA tourney pairings currently. Marquette didn't even win their conference until 1994. Which means, nobody was paired with them in the NCAAs prior to expansion of the tourney. Which nullifies your argument about SEC being paired with them in the NCAA tourney outside of 5 years when they did make it.

They played as an independent until 1986, so prior to expansion they were not making the dance much prior to expansion.

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so prior to expansion they were not making the dance much prior to expansion.

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They went every year from 1968 through 1974 except the year they turned down the NCAA's in 1970 and won the NIT. They continued making the tourney after expansion from 1975 through the early 1980s's.

Sounds like "much."

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They went every year from 1968 through 1974 except the year they turned down the NCAA's in 1970 and won the NIT. They continued making the tourney after expansion from 1975 through the early 1980s's.

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And you used them as a matchup for SEC teams in the NCAA's prior to expansion of the tourney. They didn't make it that often prior to 1968.

Picking Marquette and Notre Dame to support your argument of tougher match ups for SEC is way off point, is the point I am trying to make.

The midwest had programs like Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, etc.

Notre Dame made the Final Four once, and that was after expansion in 1978. They only won 8 NCAA tourney games prior to 1970.

Prior to expansion, Arkansas played Oklahoma State, Cincinnati, Oregon, Oregon State, Wyoming, and Washington State in the NCAA Tourney.

Looks like Wyoming had a strong program in the 40's when Arkansas played them in the NCAA's. 1 Final Four, 1 National Title