BREAKING NEWS: NCAA gets a new deal, Tourney will expand...

((ht:usa today))


BREAKING: According to a published report, it appears the days of the 65-team NCAA Basketball Tournament are coming to an end...next season.

USA Today is reporting that the NCAA has reached an agreement with CBS and Turner Sports for the TV rights to the "New" NCAA Tournament, one that would be anywhere from 68-96 teams, though we suspect it will be the latter.

The Story from USA Today RIGHT HERE

The agreement is expected to be announced at a 12:30pm press conference. The official press release from the NCAA is RIGHT HERE

Among the highlights: CBS and Turner will alternate coverage of the actual final four on an odd/even rotation beginning in 2016. They will both cover the opening rounds through the "Sweet 16 starting next year, CBS pick things up from the "Elite 8" on. Also, the tournament will "Officially" expand to 68 teams beginning with next years tournament.

An interesting turn and the expected expansion to 96 teams was not mentioned. That doesn't mean it is off the table, it just isn't an option with the current announcement.

TBS Appealing McDavid Verdict

((HT: AJC/Paul))

Turner Broadcasting System is appealing its loss in a case where it was ordered to pay millions to a Texas businessman who said the Atlanta-media company cheated him out of buying Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena operating rights.

The appeal, filed Aug. 24 with the Georgia Court of Appeals, seeks to overturn a 2008jury verdict that awarded David McDavid $281 million. McDavid signed a letter of intent to buy the professional teams and arena operating rights from Atlanta-based Turner in 2003. The letter, granting exclusive negotiating rights, expired, but the parties continued to talk. Turner announced in the fall of that year that it would sell the teams to an eight-man investor group known as the Atlanta Spirit.

McDavid then filed a $450 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against the company.

Pay Da' Man!

Welcome to the Boomtown...

Well lookie here! It seems as though our friend David McDavid might have been on to something. He appears to have won (for now) his case against Time Warner/Turner Sports where he sued them for breaching an agreed upon contract. In fact, he wins...to the tune of a cool $200+ million. (It's acutally more, but its complicated to explain)

Check out the story in the good 'ol Atlanta Journal Constitution here .

Also, for some background to this story, please feel free to check out the vast OnlineSportsGuys library.

Not So Fast my Friend...

Like all good American court cases, this too is far from over. There of course is the appeal by Time Warner/Turner who obviously don't want to just hand David and David a rather large check.

Thankfully, at least for the troubled group who now owns the teams; The Atlanta Spirit, they aren't a part of the lawsuit, they have another to deal with. They did however in a sense contribute since they had to confess to just how much money they've lost on the Hawks and Thrashers over the past 5 years. (Many millions)

And who says that owning a Sports Team is a great investment?

((David McDavid Photo/Courtesy AP))

((Eric Boulton-Thrashers Photo/Courtesy Andy Marlin/Getty Images))