2013 Division III NCAA Tournament

[NCF]

I think this is going to be a great experience for all!

[Mr. Ypsi]

I know they're going to one game per week to stretch out the tournament and leave less of a layoff for the championships game, but that really messes up a team's schedule moving from (often) three games a week to one.

Ideally, if they decide to keep this format in future years, maybe they can push the end of the regular season another week, so they can make the tournament a bit more "normal."

I agree.  After many years of the whole tourney lasting 17 days, a 36 day tourney is gonna feel weird!

newcardfan, I hope so (and I'm keeping an open mind), but not having a 'real' Final Four just doesn't feel right to me.

[John Gleich]

I know they're going to one game per week to stretch out the tournament and leave less of a layoff for the championships game, but that really messes up a team's schedule moving from (often) three games a week to one.

Ideally, if they decide to keep this format in future years, maybe they can push the end of the regular season another week, so they can make the tournament a bit more "normal."

This will make game prep much more interesting.

With the exception of the teams who get a bye, each team needs to prepare for their Friday night game and have both potential Saturday opponents in mind.

Now, each team will have one focus... their upcoming weekend opponent, for the first three weekends and then only have to worry about double-prep at Salem.

[NCF]

I know they're going to one game per week to stretch out the tournament and leave less of a layoff for the championships game, but that really messes up a team's schedule moving from (often) three games a week to one.

Ideally, if they decide to keep this format in future years, maybe they can push the end of the regular season another week, so they can make the tournament a bit more "normal."

I agree.  After many years of the whole tourney lasting 17 days, a 36 day tourney is gonna feel weird!

newcardfan, I hope so (and I'm keeping an open mind), but not having a 'real' Final Four just doesn't feel right to me.

since it's only a one year deal for now, if it doesn't work, they can come up with a different plan for the 100th!

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Hoops Fan, this is a one-year deal. The men's committee actually wanted a slightly different format to allow for the first two rounds to be played in the traditional format, all-be-it a week later than normal. If this were to be done more often, the regular season schedule would be adjusted accordingly and the only reason it wasn't adjusted this year was because the NCAA had delays getting all their ducks in a row in getting this proposal approved - so the '12-'13 season was already in motion scheduling wise (especially for conferences).

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Here is the interview with the new Men's Basketball Committee Chair, Mike DeWitt (found on the front page of D3hoops.com):
www.d3hoops.com/notables/2012/07/2013-tournament-spread-out

[pjunito]

Here is the interview with the new Men's Basketball Committee Chair, Mike DeWitt (found on the front page of D3hoops.com):
www.d3hoops.com/notables/2012/07/2013-tournament-spread-out

So.... Has the new format been made official?  If so, when will discussions about either changing it or keeping it begin? April, May?

[Just Bill]

Here is the interview with the new Men's Basketball Committee Chair, Mike DeWitt (found on the front page of D3hoops.com):
www.d3hoops.com/notables/2012/07/2013-tournament-spread-out

So.... Has the new format been made official?  If so, when will discussions about either changing it or keeping it begin? April, May?

The format is official for 2013. I don't know when discussion will happen, but I would expect 2014 to return to the traditional format. Beyond that we will see, but I suspect this won't be a permanent change mostly due to the extension of the season, which pretty clearly goes contrary to D-III philosophy. Just my opinion.

[Ralph Turner]

Here is the interview with the new Men's Basketball Committee Chair, Mike DeWitt (found on the front page of D3hoops.com):
www.d3hoops.com/notables/2012/07/2013-tournament-spread-out

So.... Has the new format been made official?  If so, when will discussions about either changing it or keeping it begin? April, May?

The format is official for 2013. I don't know when discussion will happen, but I would expect 2014 to return to the traditional format. Beyond that we will see, but I suspect this won't be a permanent change mostly due to the extension of the season, which pretty clearly goes contrary to D-III philosophy. Just my opinion.

As we had in the old 48-team brackets, there will be 32 teams that get to host a playoff game!  That is a big plus for this year!

This year, you truly do not want a first round bye!

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Ralph - you are right - first round byes will stink. I believe that is one of the reasons the men's committee suggested skipping a weekend and then having two games the following weekend, the Round of 16 by itself; followed by Salem for the Elite 8... but the championships group and the president's council disagreed...

The format for this year is obviously official... for the future I have heard talk from both sides of sticking with the idea of keeping the championship with the D1 Final Four and others who are just as strong about going back to the "old ways."

The key thing here is the fact that this isn't going to happen unless the women get on board throughout the NCAA as well. There is no way D3 presidents will agree to having two different basketball seasons so the men can have the Final Four experience and the women go about the same way as always. They also aren't going to want teams playing conference games at different times.

I also know from the recent Hoopsville interview that the women do not have any plans of moving their tournament next season... so that should mean everything is back to normal next year and there is great debate about the future .

[Just Bill]

There was talk that the women may get the same opportunity in a one-shot deal in 2017, which would be the 35th anniversary of the NCAA Division I women's basketball championship. Don't know if that was anymore than a vague suggestion.

[gordonmann]

Yep, the women are headed to UW-Stevens Point for the 2014 national semifinals.  But it's just a one-year arrangement for now.

[Ralph Turner]

Yep, the women are headed to UW-Stevens Point for the 2014 national semifinals.  But it's just a one-year arrangement for now.

By making it a one-year deal, that gives another year for the NCAA to plan for a "35th year" arrangement.  If the 2017 deal comes into being, then it will be very easy for UWSP or someone else to get the 2015/2016 deal.  The contract for 2018/2019 could be let in the future.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

There was talk that the women may get the same opportunity in a one-shot deal in 2017, which would be the 35th anniversary of the NCAA Division I women's basketball championship. Don't know if that was anymore than a vague suggestion.

It is talk... from everything I have heard there is nothing in the works per se except for what we obviously see with the decision for the 2014 final four.

[gordonmann]

We have the Pre-Championship Manual for the 2013 NCAA tournament. Here are some key points of interest...

* The first regional rankings will be released Wednesday, February 6
* The NCAA tournament selections will be announced on Monday via the Internet, like last year
* The breakdown of bids is the same as last year: 42 conference winners + 1 Pool B + 19 Pool C = 62 teams
* Two schools declared eligibility for the NAIA or NCCAA tournament instead of the NCAA: Maranatha Baptist and Nebraska Wesleyan
* There are 13 teams eligible for the 1 Pool B bid: Birmingham-Southern, Centre, Finlandia, Hendrix, Huntingdon, Maine-Presque Isle, Millsaps, Oglethorpe, Rhodes, Rust, Sewanee, St. Joseph's (Brooklyn), UC Santa Cruz
* There are seven teams that are provisional members of the NCAA and ineligible for the tournament: Berry, Covenant, Houghton, Sarah Lawrence, Southern Virginia, SUNY Canton and Valley Forge Christian
* Caltech is also ineligible for the tournament (insert punchline here). Baldwin-Wallace isn't listed in the handbook as ineligible for the NCAA tournament, but the school administration has said their teams won't participate in the postseason.