July 3, 2008
Committee Recommends Denying Sub-.500 Teams From NCAAs
CHN Staff Report
Reacting to last year's NCAA tournament selections, the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee is recommending that teams must compile a record of .500 or above in the regular season to be considered for championship selection.
Last March, sub-.500 Wisconsin was selected as an at-large team to the tournament through the NCAA's objective process of pairwise comparisons. The selection drew an uproar in some circles.
The committee made the recommendation after hearing from coaches during April's convention. Most other NCAA sports have a policy that prohibits sub-.500 teams from qualifying for NCAA tournament competition.
All of the ice hockey committee's recommendations must be approved by the Division I Championships/Sport Management Cabinet. It meets in September.
The committee also recommended to the cabinet that all six conferences receive an automatic bid. That includes College Hockey America, which will compete with just four teams next season, and therefore, does not meet the NCAA's minimum requirement.
The committee said it made the recommendation "for the good of the sport and the championship." The decision will be reviewed by the cabinet in the fall.
The committee also decided the following:
- Will recommend Midwest and West regional sites for 2010 and 2011 to the Championships/Sport Management Cabinet this summer.
- Selected game times for the 2009 Frozen Four. Semifinal games will be at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Eastern time, April 9. The championship game is at 7 p.m. Eastern time, April 11.
- Decided timeouts at the championship will be two minutes from whistle to puck drop.
- Selected Steve Cady, senior associate athletics director at Miami, as committee chair.
If a team makes it into the NCAA's by the pairwise system, then is excluded do to being below .500, doesn't that seem to invalidate the numbers system they use to select teams in the first place?
Jul 3 2008, 1:09 pm by Shawn, Minneapolis
Yes ... yes it does :)
Jul 3 2008, 1:21 pm by CHN Editor
What happens if a sub-.500 team wins their conference title? Or is that an "exception"?
Jul 3 2008, 2:12 pm by Madison
winning a conference title is an "automatic bid" ... those are different from "at-large" bids.
Jul 3 2008, 3:05 pm by CHN Editor
It sounds like an over reaction.
Jul 3 2008, 5:12 pm by ND
the CHA should not get the automatic bid, a conference with only 4 teams? the rule of having at least 5 is in place and there shouldn't be special rules for certain situations. with only 4 teams in a conference, these 4 teams should be given more lee-way and more support for scheduling out of conference opponents. that way they can get the at large bid along with getting better by playing tougher competition.
Jul 3 2008, 5:46 pm by joe, ithaca
Joe,
I predict they will continue to get a an auto bid until the other leagues step up to help, none have at this point.
Jul 4 2008, 6:56 pm by ND
I agree that the CHA will get a bid until the other conference step up to help...but will the other conferences step up to help if the automatic bid is given to the CHA?
I think that the other conferences will help once they HAVE TO help.
Jul 5 2008, 10:28 pm by TN, Minneapolis
I can't believe that they are recommending that the CHA retain an auto-bid. I wonder if any of the bottom tier teams in the CCHA are longing for a 1 in 4 shot to make the NCAA tourney and would consider a conference change? I would think just about any CCHA team would be the odds on favorite to win the CHA if they were to move.
Jul 8 2008, 1:37 pm by Ryan J, WI
4 teams doesn't make up a legitimate conference. The CHA no longer deserves an auto bid (don't meet the criteria) and should disband after the up-coming season. Those 4 schools should then be promised immediate inclusion (no probationary season) into whatever conference accepts them, so as to allow the athletes the opportunity to play for the NCAA championship, which they deserve.
Jul 9 2008, 12:46 pm by BB, upper mich
That's why it's called Pairwise and not Fairwise.
Jul 18 2008, 1:02 pm by JA
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