Mid-Major scheduling alliance

[91jack]

I think AJ should schedule Middle Tennessee State, Gonzaga and Utah every year. There are other teams like Illinois State, Wyoming, Creighton and Northern Iowa that could be in that group, too.
I just wonder if these teams beat up on each other if it would help or hurt their chances for an at large bid. They all seem to come close or make it to the tourney most years(my guess).

[rabidrabbit]

Re: Mid-Major scheduling alliance

I look forward to playing top mid-majors + last year's post-season majors, as it will keep the Jacks in the mix for post season play each year. I would like to see some LEAGUE Alliances, ala Big 10-ACC challenge, maybe between the Summit & Horizon or MoValley conferences.

Another conference very similar to the Summit is the SoCon, though the travel may be an impediment for some to make home/home arrangements.

This for both the men and women's BB programs.

[Stephen Shirley]

Re: Mid-Major scheduling alliance

I look forward to playing top mid-majors + last year's post-season majors, as it will keep the Jacks in the mix for post season play each year. I would like to see some LEAGUE Alliances, ala Big 10-ACC challenge, maybe between the Summit & Horizon or MoValley conferences.

I don't know about a league challenge. Both of our conferences (Horizon and Sun Belt) have HUGE gaps between the top and bottom teams. I'd rather have a rotating tournament involving MT, SDSU, and teams like the other SDSU, Gonzaga, Utah, New Mexico, Old Dominion. Host the tournament with the same four teams for four straight years rotating the host site.

Go 1-1 and your still okay thanks to quality RPI opponents. Go 2-0 and you've set yourself up as one of the top ###-majors come tourney time. But go 0-2 and you don't leave yourself much margin of error in tournament play.

[Kemo]

Re: Mid-Major scheduling alliance

I don't know about a league challenge. Both of our conferences (Horizon and Sun Belt) have HUGE gaps between the top and bottom teams. I'd rather have a rotating tournament involving MT, SDSU, and teams like the other SDSU, Gonzaga, Utah, New Mexico, Old Dominion. Host the tournament with the same four teams for four straight years rotating the host site.

Go 1-1 and your still okay thanks to quality RPI opponents. Go 2-0 and you've set yourself up as one of the top ###-majors come tourney time. But go 0-2 and you don't leave yourself much margin of error in tournament play.

It would be interesting to see how a 4 team, mini tournament would work between the likes of say SDSU, MT, Utah, and Gonzaga, and it might be an experiment worth trying. I think it would be worth a try if the details could be worked out, and the schools could sign a 4 year contract for the event so each team would get to host it once. If it was considered a success, then they could just renew the 4 year contract or switch a team or two pending on how each university felt about the event.

[zooropa]

Re: Mid-Major scheduling alliance

But, AFAIK, that would constitute their one allowable "Multi-Team Event" for scheduling purposes, which for all four teams is their best chance to play BCS schools that won't condescend to a home and home or even a 2-1.

[Stephen Shirley]

Re: Mid-Major scheduling alliance

But, AFAIK, that would constitute their one allowable "Multi-Team Event" for scheduling purposes, which for all four teams is their best chance to play BCS schools that won't condescend to a home and home or even a 2-1.

If the NCAA tournament selection committee will ever stand behind their "play a tough schedule" mantra, then we could tell the Power-6 schools to shove their offers that don't include a return game. Let them pad their records against the Sisters of the Poor while the ###-major powers play the top schools (on their courts) and fill out our RPIs against other ###-major powers. The lower Power-6 schools will start offering home/home series when their RPIs (and NCAA chances) suffer from playing weaker teams.

But that only works if the committee walks its talk. But based upon the seeding of last year, that doesn't appear to be the case. "Oh Power 6 Conference school, you played patsies during OOC but based upon the blind squirrel analogy, you finished 8th in your conference and therefore deserve a bid to the NCAA tournament."

[zooropa]

Re: Mid-Major scheduling alliance

Hey, let's face it. It's still all about the name brands.

You get the selection committee members in a room and they'll pick some half-baked team out of the Big East over a second team from a respectable conference elsewhere because the committee collectively -knows- that team.

It's a victory for the SDSU and MTSU and WKUs to be name brands, but it doesn't do the rest of the conference any good.

[Stephen Shirley]

Re: Mid-Major scheduling alliance

Hey, let's face it. It's still all about the name brands.

You get the selection committee members in a room and they'll pick some half-baked team out of the Big East over a second team from a respectable conference elsewhere because the committee collectively -knows- that team.

It's a victory for the SDSU and MTSU and WKUs to be name brands, but it doesn't do the rest of the conference any good.

We, as ###-majors, have to start getting to Sweet 16s and beyond. Middle has dropped the ball on this the past few years with teams clearly good enough to make the jump. Here's to hoping we get two or even three/four teams to the Sweet 16 this season. I'd love to see both Middle and SDSU there. Making the Sweet 16 means the media has that extra week to talk about us so that we become "known" brands.

Another thing that we can do to help our cause as a whole is to become knowledgable of other ###-major programs. That way, rather than talking about the 6th place team from a Power-6 conference, we can promote the SDSU, MT, Utah, ODU, Bowling Greens of women's basketball. And what better way to become knowledgable than to schedule each other.

I love that MT and SDSU are playing each other AND both playing Utah this year. I don't know who Western KY plays other than you all, but we have a good foundation going.

[rabidrabbit]

Re: Mid-Major scheduling alliance

I look forward to playing top mid-majors + last year's post-season majors, as it will keep the Jacks in the mix for post season play each year. I would like to see some LEAGUE Alliances, ala Big 10-ACC challenge, maybe between the Summit & Horizon or MoValley conferences.

Another conference very similar to the Summit is the SoCon, though the travel may be an impediment for some to make home/home arrangements.

This for both the men and women's BB programs.

When the Big 10/ACC match ups are made, aren't they comparable qualities for the opponents? IE, aren't the match ups between last years #1's, 2's, etc? For example, Ohio St. vs Maryland this upcoming challenge.

If so, then a match up between Summit and Sunbelt, for example, SDSU vs MTSU, Oakland vs UALR, NDSU vs WKU, etc. That, IMHO would be a good approach.

[sfsd]

Re: Mid-Major scheduling alliance

FYI, when I spoke late this winter/early spring with Middle Tennessee coach Rick Insell, he said he was hoping to renew the series with SDSU.