Joe Lunardi argues that Cinderella teams are disappearing from the NCAA tournament due to structural changes in college basketball. The former bracketologist points out that conference realignment has reduced at-large bids for non-power conference teams, while the NET rankings system favors power conference programs. In 2006, seven at-large bids went to non-power conferences; now it takes two tournaments to match that number.

Lunardi traces the decline to multiple factors: fewer tournament invitations for mid-majors, tougher scheduling requirements, and the dominance of power conferences. He notes that 31-1 Miami (Ohio) nearly missed the tournament entirely, while Tulsa, Dayton, and other strong mid-major programs were completely overlooked. The impact on seeding is equally damaging, with Butler's 2011 run and Loyola Chicago's 2018 Final Four run becoming increasingly rare.

To restore competitive balance, Lunardi proposes setting an NCAA tournament eligibility floor that would prioritize winning records over conference affiliation. His analysis shows that mid-major at-large teams win more NCAA tournament games (.400 winning percentage) than power conference teams with losing records (.355 winning percentage). The solution? Reward teams that win with fewer resources and give deserving mid-majors the spots gained from establishing a minimum winning threshold.