NEW YORK -- Going into the Final Four next weekend, CBS Sports doesn't expect any make-goods coming out of a March Madness with lower ratings than last year but pretty good nonetheless.

Eight days into the tournament, the NCAA men's basketball tournament has averaged a 5.9 household rating/13 share, according to data released Monday by Nielsen Media Research. That's down 6% from a 6.3/14 last year but up 2% from the 5.8/13 in 2004.

No one expected a repeat of 2005, when down-to-the-wire games involving teams with proven national followings stoked the ratings. But it's even more interesting considering that none of the four top-seeded teams made it to the Final Four.

In an interview Monday afternoon, CBS Sports president Sean McManus was philosophical as well as optimistic about the Final Four and championship, which will be played Monday in Indianapolis.

"We don't have a choice," McManus said about the tournament. "Ideally, going into this weekend, you'd like to have one or more traditional national basketball (powers). We do have UCLA, which falls into that category. We're going to play the hand we're dealt."

McManus said there's a story behind George Mason, the Cinderella story of the tournament, which could draw a lot of non-basketball fans. And he said there's so far no problems with make-goods, and McManus said he didn't expect any because CBS was conservative with its ratings guarantees.

"Remember, we had some of the best ratings we had in 15 years last year," he said. "This year the ratings basically are tied with the best since 1999. We're pleased with them, and we don't owe any advertisers any money through this weekend."

Excluding 2005, this year's tournament so far is the second best average rating since a 6.2/14 in 1999. The 2000 and '02 tournaments were also at a 5.9/13 at this point.