In the past the economy played zero role, that's why we went Anaheim last year, the NCAA did not consider travel costs. This year travel costs will play a role, which is why we are going to Minny. They will force us into that bracket.
Also, see the part in red. Could Crean be fired simply because he is too expensive? Never a problem in college athletics before. But now that people are (economically) hurting and endowments are getting crushed, anything is possible.
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Economy won't play larger role
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3897386
INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA promises not to bust a budget or a bracket when March Madness arrives.
NCCA tournament selection committee chairman Mike Slive said his group still will try to keep teams close to their home fans, as it has in the past, but not if it would result in unfair competition.
"We're concerned, as are all Americans, but I think our primary obligation is to provide the nation with a geographically and balanced national tournament," Slive said during Tuesday's conference call with reporters.
The recession has some schools scrambling to fill budget holes and seats.
Last month, The Associated Press reported Stanford University projects a $5 million shortfall over the next three years and is considering reducing its staff. At Indiana, athletic director Fred Glass has reduced ticket costs for balcony seating to $5, hoping to improve slipping attendance.
Other schools are concerned about rising travel costs, which sometimes escalate during the 65-team tournament.
In 2002, the NCAA adopted a system designed to keep schools close to home as possible, by ending the practice of having an entire eight-team section of the bracket play in one place.
But last year George Mason and Winthrop, Southern schools, went to Denver while Boise State, from Idaho, wound up playing in Birmingham, Ala.
"The bracketing principles are designed to place teams as geographically close to their home city as possible, and we certainly understand the economic times," Slive said. "But I don't think we're going to violate those principles."
Selection committee members consider each team's individual resume, regardless of conference affiliation. They use computer-generated rankings, nonconference strength of schedule ratings, head-to-head results, injuries, how teams fared in their final 12 games and even consider teams they've seen play.
They can also use a computer program to determine how many miles each school would travel.
It's a program the committee has used since 2002, and while it can sometimes help the committee decide whether to send a team to, say, Birmingham or Denver, Slive insists travel expenses will not play a more significant role in seeding and bracketing than they have in the past.
That leaves the committee back with its more customary debate about who's in and who's out.
One question Slive anticipates being asked between now and Selection Sunday, March 15, is how many teams can be chosen from one conference.
There is no limit, meaning the Big East, Big Ten and Atlantic Coast conferences, which have a combined 16 teams in this week's Top 25, could have a huge presence in March.
"It's a good time to remind people that each team is chosen based on its own merit and being in a particular conference does not help or hurt your chances of making the tournament," he said. "It's the committee's job to pick the best of the best."
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 11, 2009, 08:41:27 AM
In the past the economy played zero role, that's why we went Anaheim last year, the NCAA did not consider travel costs. This year travel costs will play a role, which is why we are going to Minny. They will force us into that bracket.
Going to Minny is A-Ok with me. There are several flights a day out of Chicago and it is only a 5-6 hour drive from Chicago or Milwaukee so we would have lots of fans there. It would be great, actually.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 11, 2009, 08:41:27 AM
Economy won't play larger role
<snip>
Slive insists travel expenses will not play a more significant role in seeding and bracketing than they have in the past.
Doesn't the article actually say the economy will
not be considered more when determining where teams play?
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 11, 2009, 08:41:27 AM
In the past the economy played zero role, that's why we went Anaheim last year, the NCAA did not consider travel costs. This year travel costs will play a role, which is why we are going to Minny. They will force us into that bracket.
Did you even read the article or are you purposely trying to misstate was was written?
IU discounted tickets b/c they suck. If they were good, they would be selling out at full price.
Quote from: BadgerKiller on February 11, 2009, 09:00:50 AM
Did you even read the article or are you purposely trying to misstate was was written?
Read the first two sentences
The NCAA promises not to bust a budget or a bracket when March Madness arrives.
NCCA tournament selection committee chairman Mike Slive said his group still will try to keep teams close to their home fans, as it has in the past, but not if it would result in unfair competition.Questions. Why is Slive saying this? Why did he go out of his way
this year to say this when they have never said this before? And, if he is trying to say "nothing will change," why did ESPN.com have it at the top of their college basketball page? If it non-news like you imply, why even say it at all?
Answer, He's trying to tell us that economic consideration will taken into account when doing the pairings. Let me restate it ... the top Midwestern teams are going to Minny. So if you're top East coast team, you might get screwed, sorry but money is now a consideration and it is too much to fly to the west coast seeding. Welcome to the depression of 2009, things are different now.
Slive cannot say it this way, but that is essentially what he said. ESPN understood it that way which is why they are leading the college basketball page with it.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 11, 2009, 09:42:46 AM
Read the first two sentences
Read the rest of the article.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 11, 2009, 09:42:46 AMQuestions. Why is Slive saying this? Why did he go out of his way this year to say this when they have never said this before? And, if he is trying to say "nothing will change," why did ESPN.com have it at the top of their college basketball page? If it non-news like you imply, why even say it at all?
Because ESPN is looking for a story, and, let's face it, the economy is a hot button issue. Chances are some reporter asked a question about it and this is how he responded. I don't think he came out and said every team will play close to home. Wouldn't this effectively create 2 conference tournaments for many conferences. Most of the Big East would be in one bracket, most of the Big 11 would be in one bracket, etc.
I'm not trying to offend your reading of the article "Another" but I think you might be looking at this a bit too simplistically. I think all that he was saying was that they woudl try to keep teams as close to home as possible, but they wouldn't sacrifice the integrity of the tournament to do so. This is the same thing they have tried to do in the past and he is saying that this is how they try to minimize costs for schools that might be struggling in this economy.
I'm not offended. In a month, we'll see how many teams travel more than 500 miles (like we had to last year).
It could have easily cost MU 100k last year to send the band, cheerleaders, team and other MU admin people to Anaheim last year. Multiply this by 64 other teams and factor in that many are seeing revenues decline because of poor attendance, crashing endowments and it would make perfect sense that Slive and crew could be looking to save on costs.
See MLB. Why do you think their are still 90 free agents still available a week before spring training (half the dollars to free agents this winter has been spent by the Yankees). Answer, they are very worried that the economy is going to kill their revenues and are not interested in spending money.
Regarding reading the story simplistically. That is the way wire stories are suppose to be read! Do not try and over think it.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 11, 2009, 12:12:12 PM
Regarding reading the story simplistically. That is the way wire stories are suppose to be read! Do not try and over think it.
To be honest, I think you are over thinking things. My use of the word simplistic was probably improper. If you read the article as it is written, it states that nothing will change from how things have been done in the past.
1. If they do factor in economics in placing teams, Dayton's only 60 miles or so further than Minneapolis. We could easily end up there.
2. Hopefully we can hold on to a top 4 seed, which means we would get a favored location (MPLS/Dayton) anyway.
3. That being said, it might be in our best interest to see a couple Pac10 teams (UCLA, ASU, Wash, Cal) get top 4 seeds and hopefully get assigned to Portland and Boise. I figure all the top BE and ACC teams will easily cover the far sites to the east (Miami, Greensboro).
The headline on ESPN is:
"Economy won't factor into tournament pairings"
Quote from: DamonKeysContactLens on February 11, 2009, 12:35:58 PM
The headline on ESPN is:
"Economy won't factor into tournament pairings"
Thank you!