Looks like MAC Tournament changes are on the horizon again

[BGSU33]

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college ... oache.html" target="_blank

Just when it looked like our hopes at ending our NCAA Tournament drought could be aided by only needed to win two games in the MAC Tournament (where BG has struggled mightily) in its newest format if we could secure one of the top seeds, it now looks like changes are likely coming to the format in the near future. I'm kind of on the fence with changing this, because I think one's view of the tournament is greatly impacted by where their team stand in it each year.

As a one-bid league (which is what the MAC is anymore), I actually like the way the current format is as it allows the regular season to actually carry some weight since the NCAA Selection Committee doesn't seem to give a crap what MAC teams do. In the current format it awards the top MAC teams a better shot at the NCAA Tournament. That is what I like about it. For those teams seeded lower, yes it makes it harder to get there, but it often does leagues like that no good whatsoever to have a low seeded team win the tournament and go to the NCAA's while their top teams head to the NIT, CIT or CBI. Yes there are exceptions such as Ohio a few years ago. But in most cases, one-bid leagues like the MAC want/need their better teams to do well and not be upset.

That said, in the power conferences where they are sending 5, 6 or 7 teams, it is exciting to see the upsets because if a low-seeded team comes out of nowhere and wins the conference tournament, then they are essentially adding one more team to their pool of the NCAA Tournament teams as those top teams are still going to go dancing no matter what. That is where the upsets makes for true excitement and less of a headache like in the MAC Tournament or its peers often experience.

That is why I actually oppose making changes to the tournament format again. The current way rewards the better teams for good regular seasons as best as the MAC can. It's almost a crime that a team from the MAC can enter the tournament 28-3 and lose a game in the MAC Tournament and get sent to the NIT, CBI or CIT, while a team who entered 3-28 can win a few games and go dancing. If we were getting multiple bids, I wouldn't care about any format change. But we're not. Until then, I would rather see the MAC regular season count towards something because the NCAA Selection Committee is telling us it basically does not.

[Flipper]

Scrapping the tournament makes the most sense

[BGSU33]

Scrapping the tournament makes the most sense

I wouldn't be opposed to that but can't see it ever happening. But that's what I love about the Ivy League regular season. Easily the most important regular season in D-I.

[AyZiggy97]

I have no opinion on it per se. But I know our women's basketball program hates it. There were some tweets from people connected to UT's program during BG's loss to Ball State about a structural unfairness to having a lower seed getting a game in while the better seed waits to play. The feeling is that they'd rather have a chance to get comfortable in the building, leaving no advantage either way.

I've never played anything organized beyond grade school. I'll take their word for it, especially if the men's teams in the conference apparently agree.

The intent seemed good, but restuled in unintended consequences.

[Rollo83]

I've seen them tweak this tournament many times over the last 15 years. When the number one seed loses early we always here how the seeding isn’t setup enough to benefit the top seeds. Then, we they give the top two seeds a bye to the semi-finals and they still lose (see BG women) we hear how it’s too much time off for the top seeds and the other team has a big advantage because they have already played a game or two on that court.

Bottom line is when you hold a postseason tournament, you have to accept that someone other than the top seed might win. Smaller conferences hate when they send someone other than the conference regular season champ to the NCAA tournament. Maybe postseason tournaments aren’t the best way to determine our NCAA bid?

[mscarn]

Maybe postseason tournaments aren’t the best way to determine our NCAA bid?

I agree with 33 & Flipper: they are most certainly not. The MAC is forever searching for a way to differentiate itself from the zillion other mid-major basketball leagues. Being only the 2nd league in the nation to truly value the regular season and determine the championship and NCAA representation over 15-16 games instead of 3 would raise eyebrows and achieve that recognition, not to mention being fundamentally fair and possibly an impetus for others to do the same.

What would be lost? A annual game in a half-empty Cleveland arena populated mostly by Akron and Kent fans? The ESPN2 TV deal? We get lost in the shuffle that weekend in college basketball anyway and their coverage could easily shift to a key end-of-season matchup with one of the contending teams instead.

it won't happen because coaches want job security and the more opportunities for them to claim some type of success from their seasons (MAC East Regular Season Division Co-Champs! MAC Tournament Semifinalists!) the better.

[FalconTurf]

It would make sense to have the division champs play each other for the bid just like football's championship game. Television would still be there for the game and the Q makes just as much money because they gotta lose money on the earlier games. Hotels and restaurants are the losers w/o a couple of rounds of tournament.

[BleedOrange]

Nobody in the right minds ever thought conf tournaments were the fairest way to determine the automatic bid. Nobody believes that now. The only reason conference tournaments came into existence was to generate revenue. Thank you. NEXT.

[BGWriter]

Apparently, the newest version of Firefox doesn't like the quote feature on this site, because it won't let me quote a post and then write outside the box.

Anyway, I agree with all the posters who say it's time to scrap the stupid tournament and reward the regular season champion with the bid. They can tweak this tournament until the end of time and it will NEVER assure the league sends its best team each year.

What don't they get about that?

I've said this before: Come on MAC...SHOW SOME BALLS and do away with this meaningless waste of time that draws very few fans, and probably even fewer TV viewers.

The Ivy League has it right. They always have.