Jackson addresses Arch Madness changes

Missouri Valley Conference commissioner announces overhaul of postseason basketball tournaments

Nobody likes seeing how the sausage gets made.

For the Missouri Valley Conference, the sausage comes in the form of NCAA tournament units.

Each game a Valley team plays in the NCAA tournament earns a unit, and for the men’s tournament, each unit is worth roughly $2 million. For the women’s tournament, the number is closer to $115,000. Getting more teams - or the best teams - in the Big Dance means the opportunity for multiple units.

With that reality in mind, Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Jeff Jackson announced on Monday morning a series of changes to Arch Madness that have drawn sharp reactions throughout the league’s fanbase.