I'm already excited that we get to play a real! live! team! at the BB&T this year, but given that Gary Williams killed the original format and is now gone, does anyone have any idle speculation on whether the old format might return? I know not to expect GTown, but is there any interest on either the new GW or UMD end on bringing back a two-day tournament? Do current NCAA rules somehow discourage this from happening? Does anyone have insight into Mark Turgeon's scheduling philosophy?

Finally, yes, I know this is a repeated topic, and yes, I know I am literally asking for "super secret information someone hasn't told us yet" and I apologize, but to my knowledge I hadn't seen it discussed in full since the fanbase discovered GW will actually be playing a real schedule this year, and so might actually seek something like the old-school BB&T. I also want to hear baseless speculation on the topic.

I think it's because schools are limited to 26 or 27 (or maybe 28) regular season games and one multiple team event (tournament).  Few teams want to blow a mutiple team event at the BB&T on a Sunday during crunch time in the NCAA football (Saturday games) or NFL (Sunday games) - it would be tough to sell that.

You're probably better off just going straight to the source - John Feinstein.  It's his tournament.  I imagine that if you email him at the Washington Post he'd tell you what his idea of the future is.

Since you're encouraging baseless speculation, I'll renew my call for a Babe McCarthy Memorial Doubleheader:

GW vs. Mississippi State

Loyola of Chicago vs. UTEP

Either as a tournament, or as a pair of doubleheaders.

SDF, the best answer is that the event became less attractive to the out-of-market teams particularly as GW improved.  The notion of playing Maryland and GW on back-to-back days became increasingly perceived as two difficult road games and it became much more difficult for Feinstein to continue to convince programs to play under this format.  In some cases, this may have meant giving up a home game or a more lucrative road game on the part of the out-of-market team.  Also, teams are only allowed one MTE (multi-team event) per season and most of these are now 3 or 4 games, making the two-game BB&T less appealing from this vantage point as well.

 thank you both for the grounded thoughts and the baseless speculation.

On another note, perhaps GW should try to host the 30 Rock invitational, consisting of GW (Alec Baldwin), UVA (Tina Fey), Evansville (Jack McBreyer), and Harvard (Toofer)? Get CSN to broadcast as a cross-network venture?

John Feinstein has poisoned the waters so much over the years that Georgetown is a more likely candidate for a revived Red Auerbach Classic than anything related to the BB&T.

It's only a matter of time before the BB&T gets moved to Comcast Center, assuming Mark Turgeon is still interested in it.

I cannot imagine why a Hoya would call out a good Duke man like Feinstein.

Maybe the Hoy*s can start a "Cowards Classic" tournament and play such local teams as Trinity,Strayer and Madeira.