Reference: Schools' all-time Division III record

[sac]

I will glady add a one loss season to Hope's total because I know what that would mean.

[Gregory Sager]

It is only one game, but why would that count on a record. It seems that it would constitute nothing more than an exibithion. And it would bring Hope up to an even 72% 

D3 still plays a third place game in the Final Four... the logic behind it, as I understand it, is that the fans came out to see their teams play... and so they toss the ball up one more time.  I can't say how it feels to play in that game... The only times I played in Salem, we won Championships!

My feeling is that the logic behind the 3rd place game at the regional would be for the same reason... the fans came out, so they guaranteed showing them two games.

Just my take, I may very well be wrong!

No, you got it exactly right, PS. Third-place games are played because fans go to all of the trouble to travel to Salem for the Final Four -- and it is a lot of trouble to travel to Salem, unless you're an ODACer or a CACer or a whatever-the-Dixie-is-calling-itself-now'er, although the latter conference has never had a member team get that far.

The same principle held true for the quartet of teams that played in one gym in each regional back in the old days, and I'm sure that one of the reasons why they got rid of those games is the fact that traveling to the regional didn't tend to be as much of a hike as it was to get to the Final Four site. Still, those regional consolation games counted then, and they count towards the records now. Too bad, since Wisconsin-Whitewater beat North Park in the '86 Midwest Regional conso, so as a result the Park is only 1-1 against the Warhawks in postseason play rather than 1-0.

[NW Hope Fan]

and it is a lot of trouble to travel to Salem

I know that Salem is a "nice place" to play the championships, but I agree with what you are saying. With air travel as potentially as expensive as it is, and the drive a bugger... why not find a place that is in say, the middle of the country near and air hub. Besides, with the majority of the champions coming from the "center" of the country, I would venture to say the NCAA could sell a lot more tickets to "other" fans.

[Titan Q]

IWU played in the 3rd place game in 1996 and 2001.  I've heard former IWU head coach Dennie Bridges (who coached both of those games) speak a number times about how difficult the consolation game is to play.  Your team suffers a heart-breaking defeat on Friday night and then the next day at about 3:00pm you have to lace 'em up one more time.  For the first time all season, you play a game that really has no meaning.

IWU defeated Franklin & Marshall 89-57 in 1996 after the devastating loss to Rowan the night before on a late tip-in basket, and the Titans beat Ohio Northern 76-73 in 2001 in Bridges' final game.  As a fan it was nice to see the team play one final game...as a player I think it would be really difficult to play that 3rd place game though.

[Titan Q]

I think the folks in Salem do such a nice job hosting the Division III Final Four, and I've enjoyed myself at the event so many times, that I can't bring myself to suggest it should be moved.  I do wish more people got to go though - geographically Salem is not in a very good spot and I think that is reflected in the attendance.  

Bloomington, Illinois, the town I live in, is building a 7000 seat multi-purpose arena (arena football, hockey, concerts, etc)...

http://uscellularcoliseum.com/renderings/

I've heard a couple board members (who are also CCIW fans) suggest trying to make a bid on the Division III Final Four.  Their theory is that Bloomington is more accessible to a greater % of D3 fans than Salem, Va is.  Not sure how one would actually verify that.  Bloomington is in a pretty good spot geographically, being a 2 hr drive from Chicago, 2.5 from Indy, 2.5 from St. Louis, and with a really nice and convenient regional airport which brings connecting flights in from Chicago, St. Louis, and Atlanta.  

It will probably never happen, but who knows.  Salem is a nice town and I hope it stays there.

[gordonmann]

The women's tournament will be played in Springfield, Mass this year and next.  The site has rotated to a new site every couple years with the recent hosts being Virginia Beach (Virginia Wesleyan), Terre Haute (RHIT) and Danbury, Connecticut (Western Connecticut.

[r.w. mcnickels]

Your team suffers a heart-breaking defeat on Friday night and then the next day at about 3:00pm you have to lace 'em up one more time.  For the first time all season, you play a game that really has no meaning.

Consolation games are awful for players and coaches.  Franklin & Marshall lost a heartbreaker of a semifinal game to Calvin at the buzzer in 2000, then had to come back 18 hours later and play in a game that basically meant nothing while still feeling that stab wound in the heart. 

Throughout the tournament, each game is more important and more intense than the previous one, but then it's like playing a preseason game after losing the Super Bowl.  It was a credit to IWU to rebound from the devastating loss to (D-I) Rowan and play well the next day.  I know why the NCAA has the game, and I see the logic behind it, but I don't necessarily agree with it.

[r.w. mcnickels]

I checked Franklin & Marshall's record from 1974-75 through last season.  The Diplomats are 666-204 in that span, a 76.6 winning percentage.  F&M happened to enter its best years right around the time D-III came on the scene.  I'll update F&M's record after this (rather unfortunate) season...

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Another reason for the consolation games that we haven't mentioned yet is the money.  I know its not a lot of gate revenue, but the NCAA hates losing money on the d3 tourney and they could care less about how the kids feel if it gets them 33% more gate profits or they can justify charging more for the whole package.  It's not like those visiting fans would do anything else during that time.

[David Collinge]

This is a board suggested by Titan Q to track schools' overall record and winning percentages solely as a member of Division III.

This isn't really a board for a prolonged discussion of the findings. Let's keep the banter out of it and the conversation to a low threshhold so we can keep the data easy to navigate.

Yeah, well, so much for that.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Does it ever work that way, DC?

[dansand]

This is a board suggested by Titan Q to track schools' overall record and winning percentages solely as a member of Division III.

This isn't really a board for a prolonged discussion of the findings. Let's keep the banter out of it and the conversation to a low threshhold so we can keep the data easy to navigate.

Yeah, well, so much for that.

David,

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[TigerFan_1973]

Here are some very interesting items from Wittenberg's basketball history.  I will check the won-lost record when I get a chance because it may not include part or all of this season. 

Witt was also a power in the College Division, winning the tournament in 1961.  In those days, there were only two divisions.  Ray Mears was the coach and went from there to Tennessee in the SEC.  Every Tiger coach who has left since then has coached in Division I.

Winningest basketball program in NCAA Division III history by victories (1,507) and percentage (.712).

More appearances (23) and victories (42) in the NCAA Division III tournament than any other program.

More first team All-Americas (7) than any other Division III program

1977 NCAA Division III champion.

1961 NCAA College Division champion.

NCAA Division III runner-up two times: 1983, 1976

1963 NCAA College Division runner-up

NCAA Division III third-place finisher three times: 1980, 1987, 1994

NCAA Division III regional or sectional champion eight times: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1994

NCAA College Division Great Lakes Regional champion three times: 1961, 1962, 1963

[TigerFan_1973]

I had to type my post above twice because the preview did not work as expected.

The second time I left off my source for the info:
http://www4.wittenberg.edu/news/athletics/mbasketball/records/tradition.html

[Ralph Turner]

Here are some very interesting items from Wittenberg's basketball history.  I will check the won-lost record when I get a chance because it may not include part or all of this season. 

Witt was also a power in the College Division, winning the tournament in 1961.  In those days, there were only two divisions.  Ray Mears was the coach and went from there to Tennessee in the SEC.  Every Tiger coach who has left since then has coached in Division I.

Winningest basketball program in NCAA Division III history by victories (1,507) and percentage (.712).

More appearances (23) and victories (42) in the NCAA Division III tournament than any other program.

More first team All-Americas (7) than any other Division III program

1977 NCAA Division III champion.

1961 NCAA College Division champion.

NCAA Division III runner-up two times: 1983, 1976

1963 NCAA College Division runner-up

NCAA Division III third-place finisher three times: 1980, 1987, 1994

NCAA Division III regional or sectional champion eight times: 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1994

NCAA College Division Great Lakes Regional champion three times: 1961, 1962, 1963

tiger fan, what I notice about the list is that Witt has not been too successful in the last decade, as numerous schools have left the NAIA to join D3.