2011 Men's Division III Sixteen Team Tournament Field Announced

[AC09]

Re: 2011 Men's Division III Sixteen Team Tournament Field Announced

But as Joecct brought up I believe.

Why would the NCAA make an exception to the 6.5 access ratio for just hockey?

Maybe they figure they could get more attendance (read: more $$) if they have the DIII championship concurrent with the DI? Get some DI fans to come to the game since they're already there?

[NUProf]

Re: 2011 Men's Division III Sixteen Team Tournament Field Announced

Maybe they figure they could get more attendance (read: more $$) if they have the DIII championship concurrent with the DI? Get some DI fans to come to the game since they're already there?

That's not the way decisions are generally made in DIII. That ratio of 1:6.5 is cast in stone for all sports, except that practical considerations in football and basketball limit the size of field even more. They don't want a FB tournament to have more than 5 rounds, so the field is limited to 32, even if 1:6.5 would allow for more teams. There is no sport where the field is larger than what the 1:6.5 ratio permits.

If hockey were to get a more favorable ratio, coaches in other sports would cry foul.

[AC09]

Re: 2011 Men's Division III Sixteen Team Tournament Field Announced

That's not the way decisions are generally made in DIII. That ratio of 1:6.5 is cast in stone for all sports, except that practical considerations in football and basketball limit the size of field even more. They don't want a FB tournament to have more than 5 rounds, so the field is limited to 32, even if 1:6.5 would allow for more teams. There is no sport where the field is larger than what the 1:6.5 ratio permits.

If hockey were to get a more favorable ratio, coaches in other sports would cry foul.

I understand and agree with your reasoning. I was just trying to rationalize why the cash-hungry NCAA would even consider such a proposal (if they really are considering it). IMO, this set-up would not necessarily be ideal for DIII. Breaking up the semifinals and finals that is.

[Josh Carey]

Re: 2011 Men's Division III Sixteen Team Tournament Field Announced

Maybe.

Go read Tim Costello's column this week on USCHO. Apparently, there is a serious movement afoot in the NCAA to do just this -- a 16-team D3 tournament, four top seeds hosting regionals, semifinals at the two highest remaining seeds, championship game with the D1 Frozen Four just like lacrosse.

I made it as far as...

It is only going to get worse, as next year the MASCAC conference is eligible for an AQ, and that will leave just two pool bids remaining for filling the remaining participants in the national tournament.

Not sure what tournament Tim is going to be watching next year, but it's not the D3 men's ice hockey tournament, which will have three at large bids for teams in conferences without automatic qualifiers.

The MASCAC's formation means Pool B disappears, replaced with a Pool A bid for the MASCAC, leaving our standard three Pool C (see also: at large) teams in place.

Now, in case you want to say "Well, obviously the ECAC West will get at least one of those bids, leaving just two out there legitimately" I would say.... why? Last year, there would have been no ECAC West representation in the field, and if St. Norbert had lost their conference tournament with Fredonia beating Plattsburgh for the SUNYAC title this year, it might also have happened.

So after reading that line, I quickly scrolled down the rest of the article to see if there were quotation marks representing someone even semi-official going on the record with what seems like a simply ridiculous possibility (the NCAA doing something right? Ha), found none, and stopped reading.

The column is no more reality than Webb's projected tournament field.

[XYZ]

Re: 2011 Men's Division III Sixteen Team Tournament Field Announced

The column is no more reality than Webb's projected tournament field.

Last I checked I'm the only person on record anywhere who had Superior in the field. Would you like a link?

[AC09]

Re: 2011 Men's Division III Sixteen Team Tournament Field Announced

Last I checked I'm the only person on record anywhere who had Superior in the field. Would you like a link?

Western bias