I don't see a problem. Expand the NIT with more of the mediocre major conference teams and let the mid-majors and sub mid-majors fight it out with them. A lot of the best mid-majors are inferior to bottom half majors... any team other than their top 2 would be at the very bottom of almost every P-5/6 league if they were in them. If a really good mid-major doesn't win their conference tournament, they have a very good chance at an NCAAT At-Large bid anyway... so there's your regular season motivation. It's really the mid-minor non-conference tournament winners that are left out and they really don't deserve to be in the NCAAT anyway. Their NCAAT ceiling is one miracle upset over a likely flawed good team.
Let them celebrate the NIT. I don't see a problem with making them succeed under the pressure of also winning their conference tournament. If they're that worried about blowing it in their conference tournaments, maybe they should be given byes into their semi-finals and make it double elimination for their final four. That thing about spotting them 10 points after giving them a pass to their tournament final is possibly the dumbest proposal that I've ever seen.
Why should more teams that are no where close to the level of the UNCs, Kentuckys, Dukes, Kansases, etc. be given special treatment? They should be thrilled with an opportunity to win the NIT. If they blow it in their conference tournament, tough ****!
