DI Coaches Poll: Future of the NCAA Tournament

For the August issue of Inside Lacrosse Magazine (pick up a copy now ? especially if you're a Brendan Mundorf fan ? or check out our new digital issue), we polled all of the DI coaches about the impact of the new rules. Half of them responded (thanks fellas), and we'll bring you more on that in the coming weeks.

However, we also asked them what they'd like to see regarding the future of the NCAA Tournament. IL has already done a fair amount of coverage on this story, but here's the gist: With rapid conference realignment and new NCAA legislation that allows certain leagues to immediately attain an AQ, the increased number of AQs cuts into the total of NCAA Tournament bids (which requires at least 50% of berths be at-large). As a result, the Tournament must expand.

While which of the potential outcomes chosen is an NCAA decision that'll likely be made this September, IL tacked on some questions about the state and future of the NCAA Tournament to the rules survey we sent out. These are the results, with anonymous comments from DI head coaches accompanying the results.

On a scale of 1-10, how do you rate the Tournament selection or seeding?

?Seeding is always the issue. UNC was a top 4 seed.?
?NEED COACHES ON THE COMMITTEE, NOT ADMIN who don't have a clue!?
?Thought the committee did a decent job, but we should have more specific criteria. No one knows what is important and how teams get in.?
?Selection was fine. Seeding was suspect. UNC was a top 1-2 team. Notre Dame should have been below 4. Cornell should have been a seed in my opinion.
?Committee did the best they could. But we should come up with a point system similar to NCAA Men's Hockey.?
?It's too much based on RPI, and we don't have a true RPI because we don't play enough games for a true RPI, so selection and seeding becomes top-heavy and bottom-heavy."
?Solid.?
?Never an easy task.?

Do you favor the AQ system?

?Gives everyone a shot. Not all budgets are the same. If there wasn't an AQ then the rich would get richer. Start-ups would also have a harder time as the sport grows.?
?I understand why it's done but believe the teams that had the best year should get in.?
?Love it in college basketball. Good for us too.?
?But the tournament needs to be expanded to have play in games for the teams from weaker conferences and to create a stronger tournament.
?Necessary for growth.?
?Why would a school add lacrosse if they had no chance of making tournament? The AQ keeps every team involved throughout year, and conference tourneys are extension of NCAA.?
?We have no choice, the NCAA wants more students to have access to the Tournament.?
?Good for continued growth of the game.?

NCAA Tournament expansion seems likely to accommodate the growing number of AQs. What plan would you favor?

• 22.2% Play-in games among the latest-rated conference winners to keep the Tournament field at 16
• 3.7% Play-in games, half among the latest-rated conferences and half among the lowest seeded at-large teams to keep the Tournament field at 16
• 44.4% Expansion to 20
• 29.6% Expansion to 24

?The more the merrier. There's a lot of parity.?
?No play in games, expand the tournament.?
?I'm in favor of any of them.?

On a scale of 1-10, how much more important is conference affiliation than it was five years ago?

?JHU is a great example of how important it is to be in a conference. It doubles a school's chance with the AQ and strength of schedule. JHU didn't make the 2013 NCAA playoffs for the first time in 44 years. If they had a chance at an AQ, their 2013 outcome may have been different.?
?The conference tournament is critical.?
?Winning our conference is our only way in due to schedule blocking by certain teams.?
?Depends on who you are.?
?The AQ system is proving that it is important.?
?Virginia and Hopkins did not make the tournament. That says it all. It's much harder to get in. Having a second chance is huge.?
?It's important to be in a league and have an opportunity for AQ.?
?In 2015, no team will be an independent by choice.?

Do you think your program is currently in the league it'll be in five years from now?

• 71.4% Yes
• 14.3% No
• 14.3% I don't know

?The Ivy League is the one league you can safely rely on to be here for a long, long time.?
?We're moving in 2015, but we will then be where we'll be forever.?
?With changing landscape its hard to say.?
?Anything is a possibility.?
?Impossible to tell anymore.?

Source: http://insidelacrosse.com/news/2013/07/18/di-coaches-poll-future-ncaa-tournament

tornadoes mitch hedberg secret service scandal shea weber greystone sidney crosby at the drive in