The NCAA has the option of ending its current multi-billion dollar deal with CBS to broadcast college basketball after next season's championship tournament. Why the NCAA would even consider this action in a down market is puzzling but nevertheless the NY Times is reporting on the subject.

March Madness has been on CBS for as long as anyone can remember and has been a mutually fruitful relationship over the years. Currently the NCAA is in the middle of an eleven year, $6 billion dollar deal that runs through 2013. Granted the economy is currently weak but if things improve significantly by next March the NCAA may wish to see if they can put the package back in the marketplace, most likely to entice a bid from ESPN, which bid $100 million more than Fox for the rights to college football's Bowl Championship Series games beginning in 2011.

Beneath the surface on this issue is the notion of expanding the field for the tournament making it possible for multiple broadcast partners to carve out different pieces and for a split between broadcast and cable networks. A consistent topic among talking heads there appears to be little consensus on whether expansion makes much sense for any of the parties involved.

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