Regional Rankings

[Redwing]

Saw this in the D2 Ticker newsletter...

MIAA Commissioner Racy expresses some frustration with the FB selection process with a number of top teams nationally housed in Region III: “For the MIAA on selection day to be worried about a second team into the playoffs, I think we can do better than that. I think there’s some things that we’re going to need to look at as a conference and that’s the way we schedule and I think there are things that need to be looked at nationally.” Broadly, Racy takes issue with the emphasis on strength of schedule over in-region record, continuing: “The GAC and the MIAA have close schedules, but we’ve built our membership around that. We value football. We value the sponsorship of football and we want our schools to have opponents in the region to play but the selection committee instead put a lot of weight on strength of schedule and that is a measuring tool that really penalizes our conference.” (link)

As I posted on the other thread.... how can they have other opponents with a silo conf? I agree with most of his points though. I also do sense that changes are coming sooner than later.

[Brandon]

Your scenario points out exactly the opposite of your conclusion. Regionalization is what hurts the quality of the d2 playoffs. It always has. The counterbalance to that is the fact that they let so many teams in that it really doesn't matter.

It's bad enough that the best 28 teams in the country don't get it. Enough should be done to ensure that the best seven in each region do.

[Predatory Primates]

It's bad enough that the best 28 teams in the country don't get it. Enough should be done to ensure that the best seven in each region do.

It could obviously be better, but I can't remember many seasons when a truly legit team was left out. Can you?

I mean it used to be 16 teams period.

I kind of look at the current setup as an attempt to still get those 16 in and 12 extra slots for playoff welfare.

I have never seen "get the best 28 in" as a stated goal of the NCAA. It would be great if it was, though.

I'm kind of playing devil's advocate here, but I truly don't t believe that the goal has ever been to get the best 28.

[NWFanatic]

It could obviously be better, but I can't remember many seasons when a truly legit team was left out. Can you?

I mean it used to be 16 teams period.

I kind of look at the current setup as an attempt to still get those 16 in and 12 extra slots for playoff welfare.

I have never seen "get the best 28 in" as a stated goal of the NCAA. It would be great if it was, though.

If memory serves me only 8 teams made it back in ‘84 when NW 1st made it. Also there were no Regions back then.

[GorillaTeacher]

Racy can provide that lip service all he wants to save face with the ADs and presidents. He knows what’s causing the MIAA to suffer, and that’s the silo. But he is bound by the conference and the presidents to paint the MIAA in the best light possible. It’s that or he wouldn’t have pushed for a vote on OOC games in 2019.

[Predatory Primates]

If memory serves me only 8 teams made it back in ‘84 when NW 1st made it. Also there were no Regions back then.

There were no regions when it was 16. Pitt was NAIA until 88. They went d2 my sophomore year in college.

[Inkblot]

There were no regions when it was 16. Pitt was NAIA until 88. They went d2 my sophomore year in college.

I believe strict regionality started in the early 90's; 1991 is the last year that it clearly wasn't followed (the CIAA had teams in two different brackets).

[Brandon]

It could obviously be better, but I can't remember many seasons when a truly legit team was left out. Can you?

I mean it used to be 16 teams period.

I kind of look at the current setup as an attempt to still get those 16 in and 12 extra slots for playoff welfare.

I have never seen "get the best 28 in" as a stated goal of the NCAA. It would be great if it was, though.

I'm kind of playing devil's advocate here, but I truly don't t believe that the goal has ever been to get the best 28.

I would be good with a reduction back to 24.

Best 28 is not the goal. The goal is the best teams in the region, but from what I gather, there are misses in all sports from time to time.

2007 Carson-Newman was 10-1

[Brandon]

I believe strict regionality started in the early 90's; 1991 is the last year that it clearly wasn't followed (the CIAA had teams in two different brackets).

I can' remember the exact year, but apparently folks were angered when two NCC teams played against each other in the championship in 1986.