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It's called Bracket Buster Saturday, but that's code for "Hey, NCAA Tournament Selection Committee: Look at us!"

ESPN and its affiliates will televise nine games today featuring many of the best "mid-majors" - teams from second-tier conferences (the West Coast, the Western Athletic, etc.) that hope to earn at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament.

The event includes Tulsa, Creighton, Fresno State and the most successful mid-major, Gonzaga, which has three Sweet 16 appearances in the past four years.

"The success of the Bracket Buster concept will be if one of these teams is able to play their way into the tournament as an at-large team, or if a team improves its seed with the boost from winning on Saturday," Western Athletic Conference commissioner (and selection committee member) Karl Benson told reporters.

Bracket Buster Saturday was born out of necessity. In choosing and seeding the at-large teams, the selection committee places heavy emphasis on power ratings, which are based on quality wins and strength of schedule. But elite teams are loath to play the likes of Gonzaga and Creighton in the middle of the conference season.

So the mid-major conferences decided to match their best against each other in a late-season extravaganza. Named for the tendency of mid-majors to bust up NCAA Tournament brackets, the event provides invaluable exposure and the chance to improve power ratings.

There's only one problem: Butler, which was snubbed by the selection committee last season despite a 25-5 record, is not participating. Coach Todd Lickliter refused to commit the Bulldogs because of the uncertainty of his opponent.

But for those involved, it's a rare opportunity.

"We have to take a gamble that the power conferences don't have to take," Detroit coach Perry Watson told reporters. "This is the hand we're dealt, and we're prepared to play it."

The pairings

• Fresno State at Creighton, noon, ESPN2: Creighton has locked up an at-large bid, but this could help its seed. Fresno State needs to win the WAC.

• Northern Iowa at Louisiana Tech, 1 p.m. Meaningless.

• Illinois State at Marshall, 2 p.m.: Same as above.

• Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Southern Illinois, 3 p.m. ESPN2: SIU is on the brink of an at-large bid, so a loss here would hurt.

• Ball State at Western Kentucky, 4 p.m., Channel 25. Neither team is headed to the NCAAs without winning its conference tournament.

• Bowling Green at Illinois-Chicago, 5 p.m. ESPN2: Butler, not UIC, should have filled this Horizon Conference slot.

• Hawaii at Kent State, 9:30 p.m., ESPN2: Awfully long way for Hawaii to travel. Kent has the best chance for an at-large bid.

• Detroit at UC-Santa Barbara, 11 p.m. Both teams must win their conference tournaments to experience March Madness.

• Tulsa at Gonzaga, midnight, ESPN: When these teams agreed to re-schedule a January game, Bracket Buster Saturday had the marquee matchup it needed. Gonzaga should get an at-large bid, but it's not a lock. Tulsa needs to win the WAC.