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Following in college football’s footsteps, fans will now get an early look at the top four seeds in each region of the men’s basketball tournament.

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The NCAA has announced that the Division I Men’s Basketball Selection Committee will reveal the in-season top four seeds in each region of the men’s tournament bracket live on television February 11. This marks the first such occurrence in NCAA Tournament history, and follows in the footsteps of what college football began in the lead up to the BCS and now the College Football Playoff.

To be clear, the February announcement is not an official declaration as to teams’ seeds come Selection Sunday on March 12. This is simply a “where you stand right now” concept.

The NCAA received immediate backlash for this new wrinkle, but I don’t mind it. I’ll agree with the critics that this somewhat copies what college football has been doing, but look at how successful this format has been amongst that sport’s contingent of fans. People look forward to finding out where their team stands in the CFP rankings in the weeks leading up to the actual selection day.

With men’s basketball now heading down the same path, this should only increase fan interest in the final weeks of the season. It helps undercut the argument that college basketball’s regular season is watered down. We’ll see more meaningful games played between teams who could potentially be vying for a top four seed, whereas in the past we’ve only had AP rankings leaving us guessing which teams will get which seeds. Conference tournaments will also take on more meaning beyond automatic bids.

It is unclear if this will turn into an annual occurrence like it has in college football. A lot will likely hinge on fan interest leading up to February 11 and the actual television ratings for the live broadcast. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing this all play out.

MORE: NC State Boosts NCAA Tournament Résumé With Victory Over Duke