VolleyBear wrote:
joshuca wrote:
UCA SportsA win tonight will get the Sugarbears a double-bye in the SLC Tournament!
While I want the Sugarbears to get one since the SLC tourney is set up that way, I'm not a big double-bye fan.
I'm OK with teams earning a single bye based on in-conference success, but to me, a double bye reeks of a conference trying to rig the game in favor of a particular team (or teams). Just my two cents.
To a certain extent I agree with you. However, I understand why the conference made the move. As a mid major (and a small fish in the mid major pond at that) the conference felt it best to get their two highest seeds a favorable track to the title game. We've seen the Sugar Bears get ousted by low seeds in the first round and can sympathize.
I have to look at the issue through the eyes of the conference and its best interest. Consider for example the following hypothetical scenario:
The conference has a few teams inching up RPI and KenPom like rating scales. The conference is projected to receive a 13 or 14 seed. A loss by the top seed sends the conference to a 16 seed and it is back to one and done. The whole conference, and it's perception in the world of college basketball is improved, possibly decreasing the frequency of 16 v 1 games.
Just my $0.02