every bracket I've ever turned in was due Thursday morning; time to change to KSU (or whoever they played on Thursday/Friday) by then
So now the measuring stick for whether you are in the tournament or not is whether your game is included in a national gambling pastime? Ok.
So how many teams "made" the tournament in 1979? Or in any of the years between 1980 and when it expanded to 64 teams? I'm not trying to defend anybody or say that making the first four was any great feat - I am just a logical guy and illogical thought bugs me. If the NCAA says that the tournament consists of 40 teams, or 52 teams, or 64 teams, or 68 teams - or 128 teams someday - if my team is on the list of that many teams then they "made" the tournament. You don't have to celebrate it but don't deny reality just to crap on the program - it is plenty craptastic anyway.