Everybody get ready for ESPN’s Bracketbuster when NIU travels to the Missouri Valley Conference’s Bradley University on Feb. 21.

So you don’t know exactly what I’m talking about? Don’t be too excited because this year’s event isn’t worth getting very excited about – at least for NIU fans.

With the NCAA tournament seemingly leaving out several “mid-major” schools every year, ESPN decided to organize the best of these schools into an event promoting the schools to the selection committee.

Because of the team’s poor record, the best game NIU can get is against an in-state rival who is struggling as much as the Huskies are this season.

Thankfully for the schools, the event was very flexible before finally being decided in the past few days. Had ESPN decided the matchups at the beginning of the year, NIU (7-12 overall, 2-7 MAC) might be playing Southern Illinois (16-2, 10-0 MVC) instead of Bradley (9-12, 2-8 MVC).

While it would be an exciting game for Huskies fans, it wouldn’t accomplish ESPN’s goal of matching up two mid-major schools in order to boost their resumes for the selection committee.

NIU has no chance of making an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. In fact, even if Bradley were to beat the Huskies, it may hurt its chances of making the tournament, beating a team with a current RPI rating of 288.

Several of the Bracketbuster games will be televised on ESPN and ESPN2, such as Hawaii vs. Southern Illinois. Games with less meaning, like NIU vs. Bradley, will not.

Bracketbuster makes strides in adding quality Cinderellas to the NCAA tournament pool. However, the definition almost goes in the opposite direction of the event.

Having two mid-major schools play only knocks one down in the current event format. If ESPN really wanted to make an impact, it should put the mid-major schools against established NCAA teams so the mid-majors can get exposure.

When SIU and Hawaii play, whoever loses will be knocked down severely. However, if Hawaii were to play Arizona, they may be able to win and significantly boost their ratings. A loss to Arizona wouldn’t hurt the chances of making the tournament nearly as much.

If ESPN truly wants the best schools to emerge to the top, they may want to explore a new format so there can be more actual bracket-busting come March.