Video: Should Division II Overhaul the Playoff System? - with Mike Racy

[Predatory Primates]

I think the casual sports fan looking for something entertaining to watch athletic wise would rather watch. Championship or semi final game be competitive than blowouts. Then, perhaps, you could convert them into a fan.

I think the number of such fans would fit in my living room. Maybe that could change? Idk.

[GorillaTeacher]

I. Would say all athletes.. Do you not think IUP athletes would rather be on a legit team than undeservingly make the semis where they get woodshedded and laughed at?

I'm not buying spectators. Then you get into fans,, and fans are irrational by definition.

I think the casual sports fan looking for something entertaining to watch athletic wise would rather watch. Championship or semi final game be competitive than blowouts. Then, perhaps, you could convert them into a fan.

[IUPNation]

If I was SR1 fan, I wouldn't be so worried. The schools up there are absolute masters at gaming the system. They'll figure out a way to game the new one, and if you are lucky, it will be by playing great noncons and getting home field.

So you agree...we are smarter because we attended better schools.

:-D

[IUPNation]

I dont think any one "region" or school or conference should be guaranteed a seed.

Yet two conferences took the top four seeds in the FCS playoffs this year.

They may as well just only had the Big Sky and Misery Valley participate because everyone else was an afterthought. Even the Colonial Champion William and Mary only got the 5th seed.

This is what will happen in D2.

[Predatory Primates]

The MIAA was SILO. Just stop it.

They were silo for a blink, but when they were at their best, they weren't.

I'm fine with silo conferences being banned from the playoffs.

[Predatory Primates]

Which athletes and spectators?

I. Would say all athletes.. Do you not think IUP athletes would rather be on a legit team than undeservingly make the semis where they get woodshedded and laughed at?

I'm not buying spectators. Then you get into fans,, and fans are irrational by definition.

[Ram Tough]

This is a good post.

Shepherd's rivalry with IUP was built in the playoffs well before they were in the same conference. If Notre Dame plays Shepherd, you bet your behind that I am going to be a little more juiced than with most teams. But I also am not married to it strictly by the regions. Geographically, I would get geared up over Shepherd playing Bowie or one of the Virginia CIAA squads as well. I do think there should be a regional component early on, but that doesn't mean it needs to strictly adhere to the regions, if that makes sense.

[IUPNation]

How is it "slanted towards a few schools" when your school could be doing the exact same thing? Schedule good non-conference opponents. It's really straightforward. That's literally all the "few schools" are doing. Schedule good opponents, win all your games.

The MIAA was SILO. Just stop it.

[IUPNation]

The flights aren't punishment. The NCAA covers travel expenses for the teams in the tournament. It makes no difference where the flights happen. We need to expect they will happen, and reduce the number in the first two rounds. We are advocating this can be done while getting a bracket that is better for the athletes and the spectators.

Which athletes and spectators?

[Predatory Primates]

If I was SR1 fan, I wouldn't be so worried. The schools up there are absolute masters at gaming the system. They'll figure out a way to game the new one, and if you are lucky, it will be by playing great noncons and getting home field.

[Matt Witwicki]

I dont think any one "region" or school or conference should be guaranteed a seed.

Of course not.

[GorillaTeacher]

I understand what a FCS style bracket is. I disagree that the advantages are significant. The compromise is using the 8-seed system, and guarantee SR1 at least 1 seed. The flight issue mostly solves itself from there.

I dont think any one "region" or school or conference should be guaranteed a seed.

[GorillaTeacher]

In the current playoff format the PSAC teams get to play other a conference opponent in R2 or someone like Notre Dame/Ashland, etc.

However, in a true ranked (top 8 teams) national tourney/FCS style there wouldn't be a SR1 team seeded in the 1 through 8. Teams like Shepherd and IUP would be just outside that top 8. Come R2..PSAC teams like Shepherd and IUP would be tasked with playing one of the top 8 seeds if the results played out as expected with favorites winning. In a 2022 FCS tourney that would've been GVSU, Ferris, Angelo, Pitt, WFla, OBU, Delta, and CO Mines. Of those 8 listed, Shepherd is a flight to every single one of them. IUP would drive to either GVSU or Ferris, while being a flight to the other 6.

Keep in mind, this can all be done without seeing a jump in flights. It would just be a slight change as to who'd be flying..and that would now include the SR1 teams for round 2, while it has been the midwest teams primarily in the past.

By having SR3 and SR4 as their own silos (like seen with the NCAA a year ago) it limits scheduling with proximity in mind. The same can be said with SR1 and SR3 (Michigan teams). There are MIAA teams within driving distance to Colorado squads, but with them in different SR's it can create more flights. There's no perfect way to create a region on the west side of the D2 map..because you have the RMAC which connects slightly with the NSIC and also the MIAA, who also overlaps with the GLVC, and then the Lonestar and the GAC also can drive to some of the GLVC and the MIAA..so the regional structure is really challenging there....whereas an FCS style bracket structure wouldn't have any regional boundaries but could still incorporate the 'within 600 miles' mindset.

I was trying to articulate this without having as in depth knowledge as to why 8 instead of 4. The teams that fly are irrelevant, just keeping the numbers down.
I imagine, though, that if eastshroud asked the athletes in SR1 if they would rather be the best team in SR1 or be the best team in the country they would answer the latter. If all you want is to be the best team in your "area" don't participate in the playoffs. It seems only people in SR1 want to keep it regionalized. The rest of us seem to be of the mindset that comfort is the opposite of growth.

[EastStroud13]

In the current playoff format the PSAC teams get to play other a conference opponent in R2 or someone like Notre Dame/Ashland, etc.

However, in a true ranked (top 8 teams) national tourney/FCS style there wouldn't be a SR1 team seeded in the 1 through 8. Teams like Shepherd and IUP would be just outside that top 8. Come R2..PSAC teams like Shepherd and IUP would be tasked with playing one of the top 8 seeds if the results played out as expected with favorites winning. In a 2022 FCS tourney that would've been GVSU, Ferris, Angelo, Pitt, WFla, OBU, Delta, and CO Mines. Of those 8 listed, Shepherd is a flight to every single one of them. IUP would drive to either GVSU or Ferris, while being a flight to the other 6.

Keep in mind, this can all be done without seeing a jump in flights. It would just be a slight change as to who'd be flying..and that would now include the SR1 teams for round 2, while it has been the midwest teams primarily in the past.

By having SR3 and SR4 as their own silos (like seen with the NCAA a year ago) it limits scheduling with proximity in mind. The same can be said with SR1 and SR3 (Michigan teams). There are MIAA teams within driving distance to Colorado squads, but with them in different SR's it can create more flights. There's no perfect way to create a region on the west side of the D2 map..because you have the RMAC which connects slightly with the NSIC and also the MIAA, who also overlaps with the GLVC, and then the Lonestar and the GAC also can drive to some of the GLVC and the MIAA..so the regional structure is really challenging there....whereas an FCS style bracket structure wouldn't have any regional boundaries but could still incorporate the 'within 600 miles' mindset.

I understand what a FCS style bracket is. I disagree that the advantages are significant. The compromise is using the 8-seed system, and guarantee SR1 at least 1 seed. The flight issue mostly solves itself from there.

[Matt Witwicki]

I guess it doesn't really make a difference who's making the flights, but if cross country flights are already guaranteed in one region, why spread that out to other regions? Flights are part of the equation when you exist as a program in a spread-out area. Why "punish" other programs just because they have multiple options that do not require a flight? This isn't D1.

In the current playoff format the PSAC teams get to play other a conference opponent in R2 or someone like Notre Dame/Ashland, etc.

However, in a true ranked (top 8 teams) national tourney/FCS style there wouldn't be a SR1 team seeded in the 1 through 8. Teams like Shepherd and IUP would be just outside that top 8. Come R2..PSAC teams like Shepherd and IUP would be tasked with playing one of the top 8 seeds if the results played out as expected with favorites winning. In a 2022 FCS tourney that would've been GVSU, Ferris, Angelo, Pitt, WFla, OBU, Delta, and CO Mines. Of those 8 listed, Shepherd is a flight to every single one of them. IUP would drive to either GVSU or Ferris, while being a flight to the other 6.

Keep in mind, this can all be done without seeing a jump in flights. It would just be a slight change as to who'd be flying..and that would now include the SR1 teams for round 2, while it has been the midwest teams primarily in the past.

By having SR3 and SR4 as their own silos (like seen with the NCAA a year ago) it limits scheduling with proximity in mind. The same can be said with SR1 and SR3 (Michigan teams). There are MIAA teams within driving distance to Colorado squads, but with them in different SR's it can create more flights. There's no perfect way to create a region on the west side of the D2 map..because you have the RMAC which connects slightly with the NSIC and also the MIAA, who also overlaps with the GLVC, and then the Lonestar and the GAC also can drive to some of the GLVC and the MIAA..so the regional structure is really challenging there....whereas an FCS style bracket structure wouldn't have any regional boundaries but could still incorporate the 'within 600 miles' mindset.