The NCAA tournament is changing yearly. Neither Cincinnati or Kentucky being involved has fans turning to other teams to cheer.
Where the traditional regional schools have lapsed others have taken over. In the Atlantic 10 conference both the Dayton Flyers and Xavier Musketeers push forward.
Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, of 6,600 students with nearly half being in graduate programs, is considered a "Mid-Major" caliber team.
Now with the men's team celebrating an earned spot to the "Sweet 16" for the third time in six years, the students believe they are on the proverbial college basketball map.
Even though the students are cheering for their Muskie brethren to win, students are not putting their school on their brackets.
Junior Tasneem Kaleem admitted,"My bracket ended up being really bad because I had Xavier losing to Florida State in the second round I know I had no faith."
Kaleem's counterpart Senior Angela Neyer at least had Xavier making it this far in the tournament.
"I do have us losing to Pitt," said Neyer. "So, I can't be all like completely like, 'Oh, you need to believe in Xavier,' but like I say, if they mess up my bracket by beating Pitt I am fine with that!"
Athletic Director Mike Bobinski said the school would forgive the doubters because only the team knows how good it really is.
The university does have to spend money up front for the team, cheerleaders, band and personnel, but that comes back when the team goes deep into the tournament and shares the money from the other two Atlantic 10 schools (Dayton and Temple) making it to the tournament.
Plus Bobinski pointed out that the school could never be able to purchase the type of marketing the NCAA Tournament provides.
Each time the Muskies play, their name is on the television for two to three hours and when they win it promotes the school.
"The longer we play the better for student recruitment," said one university official.
The university released travel package information Monday afternoon. Champion Sports Tours is handling the arrangements.
The Musketeers will play Thursday, March 26, at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA.
