2012 Division III NCAA Tournament

[pg04]

I guess Fisher is in the Final Four now...

The sectional hosts are Fisher, Stevens Point, Virginia Wesleyan, and for the third consecutive year, Amherst.

In my opinion, 3 of the 4 are right!  75% is good for the NCAA. 

[David Collinge]

I guess it hasn't been announced publicly, and the NCAA has been known to change their minds even after announcing stuff , but the men's secional sites are written into the bracket at NCAASports.com:
http://www.ncaasports.com/basketball/mens/brackets/viewable/2007/DIII

1200 seats at Fisher
1100 seats at Va. Wes.

Good grief.

[diehardfan]

Va Wes was NOT the right thing to do. As much as I like their team, think they're well coached quality basketball squad, and think that would be fun to see in Salem again, I'm not entirely convinced they earned the hosting nod with their early season slip ups and their failure to win the auto bid. That one was all about travel costs. 

Incdentally... two C bids getting hosting nods! Wow!

[smedindy]

It's always about the travel costs in D-3. Always. No matter how the NCAA likes to 'spin' it - it is what it is. All about the Benjamins, baybee!

[frodotwo]

Last year's west sectional was at Lawrence U which seats only about 1100. As I recall they had to empty the gym after the first game was completed to allow fans for the second game to have seats.

[pg04]

Ok so maybe 50% right?   

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Virginia Wesleyan is just fine for hosting. They did it last year and did very well. Lincoln will be very familiar with the gym... and where else would you have sent this bracket. CUA didn't win, so DC was out of the equation... and as I had said on Hoopsville several times last week... this was setting up for VA Wes to host!

[frodotwo]

If Fisher hosts for once, there in the final 4!

Just as an FYI hosting a sectional doesn't really equate to an automatic final four:

2006   3 of 4 sectional winners in finals
2005   1 of 4
2004   1 of 4
2003   2 of 4
2002   2 of 4
2001   0 of 4

37.5% of sectional hosting teams make it, but sectional hosting teams have won 4 of the 6 titles ('02 Otterbein, '03 Williams, '05 Stevens Point, '06 VWU)

[golden_dome]

Virginia Wesleyan is just fine for hosting. They did it last year and did very well. Lincoln will be very familiar with the gym... and where else would you have sent this bracket. CUA didn't win, so DC was out of the equation... and as I had said on Hoopsville several times last week... this was setting up for VA Wes to host!

Dave,
   I am sure they have a fine facility but I don't think that was the point she was making. Mississippi College has been #1 in the South Region every week the last two years but has to hop on a plane again. I understand the process, but that does not make it fair. After this year, I doubt MC or any team from this part of the country will ever have an opportunity to host a sectional.

If Fisher hosts for once, there in the final 4!

Just as an FYI hosting a sectional doesn't really equate to an automatic final four:

2006   3 of 4 sectional winners in finals
2005   1 of 4
2004   1 of 4
2003   2 of 4
2002   2 of 4
2001   0 of 4

37.5% of sectional hosting teams make it, but sectional hosting teams have won 4 of the 6 titles ('02 Otterbein, '03 Williams, '05 Stevens Point, '06 VWU)

Fisher,
   Hosting sectionals does not ensure you reach the Final Four, but flying to one puts a team at a huge disadvantage. I posted something about this earlier this year. Only one team has flown to a sectional the last five years and reached the Final Four and that was Stevens Point.

[mrmike88]

So does Fisher get the hosting nod because of a higher QOWI (based on the last numbers that Pat posted here)?

[David Collinge]

So does Fisher get the hosting nod because of a higher QOWI (based on the last numbers that Pat posted here)?

Seeding is only the #3 priority in site selection, according to the handbook:

Site Selection
The Championships Committee has prioritized the following site-selection criteria for all championships:
1. Quality and availability of the facility and other necessary accommodations;
2. Geographical location (which may include such factors as rotation of sites, weather, accessibility and transportation costs);
3. Seeding; and
4. Attendance history and revenue potential, which shall be considered necessary to assure fiscal responsibility.
In addition, the men's basketball committee requires each host to videotape all contests at its site, with the intent to make available to each team a copy of the contest in which it participated. The committee also prefers sites that will not host conflicting events during the championship practice and competition. Sites will also be evaluated as to the availability of appropriate practice times for all competing teams. To host first-round, second-round or sectional contests, a regulation court as defined in 2007 NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Rules and Interpretations must be used. To host sectional competition, arena seating for at least 1,000 spectators is required.

Here is what I posted in the NCAC room on this subject last night:

Everyone meets the minimum:
Fisher 1200 (thanks, blindwatchmaker)
Brockport 2000
JCU 2448
Wooster 3400

Factor one, quality of facility perhaps favors Wooster on size alone, but quality of "other necessary accomodations" might score higher in the cities (Rochester, Cleveland) than in little ol' Wooster.
Factor two, geographical location, I think clearly favors Fisher and Brockport.  Transportation costs are lower there than here in Ohio, but we have better weather!    As regards rotation of sites, Wooster hosted sectionals in 2003 and 2004, Brockport had one in 2002, and nobody else has hosted since 2001 or earlier (I only went back that far for purposes of this post), so if this is a factor at all it would work against the Scots.
Factor three, seeding, is either Fisher or Wooster; hard to guess.  But this is just factor three; the decision might not get this far.
Factor four, attendance history and revenue potential, has got to favor Wooster with its big gym and big crowds.  There's no question that there'd be more tickets sold here (by 2000+) than anywhere else.  But again the decision may be made before even thinking about this.

It will be very interesting to see what shakes out, but I'm still planning on visiting the Kodak City next weekend.

The only thing that's clear to me on the selection of Fisher as host is that they never reached Factor Four.  I'm not even sure of the transportation costs, as I have been told that Brockport is just barely far enough away from Fisher as to perhaps qualify for the travel stipend.

[formerbant10]

Fisher and B'port are about 20 minutes away from each other.  I've been to both gyms, B'port is much larger.  I don't even know if Fisher can actually hold 1,200....that might mean people sitting on laps. 

[Greek Tragedy]

Here's a dumb question...Swampgoon and I were wondering who actually plays at the Salem Civic Center, the host for the Final Four.  We see a lot of ODAC stuff there.  Roanoke? 

The LU sectional was a train wreck.  Fans from the first game had to be emptied out and had to go to the END OF THE LINE, just to get back in.  It was pretty cold outside too and we were out there probably for 1/2 hour plus. 

At last year's Final Four, was there a pretty big Virg. Wes. following at Salem?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Old School - no "team" plays at the Salem Civic Center. It is used, however for the ODAC Men's and Women's Basketball championships and I think the Volleyball tourney as well.

They have also hosted numerous other NCAA Championships from volleyball, to basketball, to baseball, to softball, to football (all the facilities are in the same "complex").

Also... the Final Four in Salem is hosted by the ODAC... not an individual school.

[diehardfan]

The ODAC stuff there because ODAC hosts the Final Four. Roanoke has their own gym named the Bast Center.

The Salem Civic Center , like all civic centers, is used for a variety of purposes, to benefit the town it's located in. Other examples include the across town Roanoke Civic center, which is bigger than Salem's, and the famous Holland Civic Center, former home of Hope College.

edit: Dave just beat me to the answer cause I was adding links.