We Have Dancing Quakers

You can start filling out your tournament bracket ... at least one tiny little inconsequential part of it. The Pennsylvania Quakers have let their Inner Light guide them into the NCAA tournament. With their 86-58 win last night over Yale, Penn becomes the Ivy League champ, and thus, the first team to be officially invited to the soir e.

The Ivy League is the only conference in the nation that has the balls to give their NCAA tournament slot to their regular season champion. For the third straight year, that will be the Quakers (ever the non-conformists). I am of the opinion that every conference should do it this way.

If you're looking to size up Penn's tournament chances, know that they've lost in the first round the last two years ... by 8 to Texas in '06, and by 20 to Boston College in '05. Also know that they are the Penn Quakers.

So congratulations to them. Four other teams will join them in the bracket this afternoon, as the Atlantic Sun, the SoCon, the Big South, and the Ohio Valley all have their championship games going today. This March Madness business is starting to feel a little bit real.

Penn wins Ivy League title to secure berth in NCAA Tournament [Mercury News]