Poor Princeton...

[bpo57]

about to go 14-0 and finish in first place in the Ivy League which heretofore entitled it to an automatic bid. Not anymore. Now they have to win a two game playoff.

 

[cmr27]

 

[RandygoCuse]

that's too bad - I'm totally in favor of one-bid conferences doing away with tournaments. The Ivy's were the last holdout, but at least you have to finish in the top half - I think one championship game would be cool.

 

[Hoo's That]

that's too bad - I'm totally in favor of one-bid conferences doing away with tournaments. The Ivy's were the last holdout, but at least you have to finish in the top half - I think one championship game would be cool.

Unfortunately for most of them, having a tournament is part of the required price of admission to D-1 for the conferences of all these former D-3 teams. However, for the Ivies, it's a self-inflicted wound because they've always been D-1 and never had to have a tournament if they chose not to have one.

 

[Madbiker]

So profit motive ($$$) strikes again?

 

[Hoo's That]

So profit motive ($$$) strikes again?

Yup. Sure looks that way.

 

[kirbivore]

someone less lazy than me should analyze the amount of money a one bid league makes annually on a conference tourney compared to tourney credits from pulling the occasional upset. In this year's Ohio Valley Conference tournament #1 Belmont lost in the semi-finals. This is a team that beat Duke a few years ago and if Belmont had made this year's big dance they would've been in the 12-14 seed range. Now the team that beat Belmont (Jacksonville St.) won the OVC auto bid tonight and will most likely be a 16 seed in the play in game. If the money worked out these smaller leagues should award the auto bid to the regular season champ and do away with the conference tourney.