Future NCAA Tournament Bids are in Jeopardy

[6-4-3 Jackrabbit]

The NCAA minimum for the number of teams needed in a conference for an automatic bid is five (I believe). According to my math the Summit has only four eligible teams next season. Oakland has left the league, Denver doesn't offer baseball and Omaha is two years away from full NCAA membership. I have no idea what the NCAA does when a conference has five teams but only four are eligible. The Summit League is a difficult place to be in the world of college baseball.

GO RABBITS!

[filbert]

Re: Future NCAA Tournament Bids are in Jeopardy

The NCAA minimum for the number of teams needed in a conference for an automatic bid is five (I believe). According to my math the Summit has only four eligible teams next season. Oakland has left the league, Denver doesn't offer baseball and Omaha is two years away from full NCAA membership. I have no idea what the NCAA does when a conference has five teams but only four are eligible. The Summit League is a difficult place to be in the world of college baseball.

GO RABBITS!

Answer is: Summit League has two years to add another tournament-eligible D-I baseball program to get the number back up to six (which by that time will include Omaha as eligible), or the automatic qualifier in baseball goes away. This could either be done in one of three ways: 1) adding another school for all sports, 2) adding a baseball affiliate member, or 3) having an existing league school add the sport.

[JackJD]

Re: Future NCAA Tournament Bids are in Jeopardy

Seems to me that if the Summit League could not meet the minimum within two years, the baseball-playing schools would be allowed to affiliate with other conferences. I think there's little chance we will not be eligible for post-season.

[NoVaJack]

Re: Future NCAA Tournament Bids are in Jeopardy

Seems to me that if the Summit League could not meet the minimum within two years, the baseball-playing schools would be allowed to affiliate with other conferences. I think there's little chance we will not be eligible for post-season.

Going to be tough because there are so few Independent baseball schools, maybe only just one (University of New Orleans?)

[2002jack]

Re: Future NCAA Tournament Bids are in Jeopardy

I thought I read on here that a conference must have a certain amount of teams in a certain amount of sports to receive an automatic bid for all sports. I think the Summit is below the threshhold and is in jeopardy of losing its bid for all sports. However, I cannot find that thread anymore.I could be making this all up!

[Homer Jack]

Re: Future NCAA Tournament Bids are in Jeopardy

Addition of UND or Northern Colorado would be great. It would be even better to get a competitive team to join the league (not sure who at this time). I'm sure there will be plenty of teams willing to join the league...if not, BIG TEN!