Playoffs -- 2015

[smedindy]

Of course, there are some stadiums with no stands on the visitor's side, so lights would even be more of a luxury.

[art76]

And some stadiums are still grass. 

[art76]

Thanx everyone for the feedback on staggering the start times of playoff games in close proximity to one another. As was posted earlier, there's probably only a handful of fans that would take advantage of it and it really does add to travel woes, which I had not considered. I was under the impression that travelling teams stayed the night before and the night after a game to travel home the next day - apparently that is not so.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Thanx everyone for the feedback on staggering the start times of playoff games in close proximity to one another. As was posted earlier, there's probably only a handful of fans that would take advantage of it and it really does add to travel woes, which I had not considered. I was under the impression that travelling teams stayed the night before and the night after a game to travel home the next day - apparently that is not so.

Certainly worth discussing - but ultimately I think night playoff games in D3 is a non-starter for several of the reasons given here.

Re: traveling teams, this certainly is not one size fits all but for my lone away playoff game (CMU @ Wesley)which is relevant because it would have been on the NCAA's dime, we had a walkthrough at our place on Friday morning, the bus pulled out for Dover around noon on Friday, we had dinner and stayed over on Friday night, and then departed for home on Saturday afternoon, arriving back in Pittsburgh around 11 PM that night.

For regular-season games, trips that required a flight (Chicago, WashU-St Louis, and Colorado) we generally did stay over on Friday night before the game and Saturday night after the game, but I'm not sure that second night in a hotel is common.  Since we typically had only had one "flight" trip per year I think our AD/coach were able to lobby to give the team an extra night in the hotel (and our coaches definitely used that as a recruiting tool - that we had an away trip to Chicago and/or St. Louis every year, and that the team was allowed to go out in the city after the game, as long as we all made the team bus the next morning for the airport).

I'm not sure if that's really common or not, though (in fact, even in Division I football, I'm not sure if it's common that the away team stays over the night after the game, especially for afternoon games).  Anyone else know whether most schools that have a regular-season game with a flight typically stay over the second day, or if they usually leave that night?  Any other anecdotal experience to share?

[wally_wabash]

Thanx everyone for the feedback on staggering the start times of playoff games in close proximity to one another. As was posted earlier, there's probably only a handful of fans that would take advantage of it and it really does add to travel woes, which I had not considered. I was under the impression that travelling teams stayed the night before and the night after a game to travel home the next day - apparently that is not so.

Certainly worth discussing - but ultimately I think night playoff games in D3 is a non-starter for several of the reasons given here.

Re: traveling teams, this certainly is not one size fits all but for my lone away playoff game (CMU @ Wesley)which is relevant because it would have been on the NCAA's dime, we had a walkthrough at our place on Friday morning, the bus pulled out for Dover around noon on Friday, we had dinner and stayed over on Friday night, and then departed for home on Saturday afternoon, arriving back in Pittsburgh around 11 PM that night.

For regular-season games, trips that required a flight (Chicago, WashU-St Louis, and Colorado) we generally did stay over on Friday night before the game and Saturday night after the game, but I'm not sure that second night in a hotel is common.  Since we typically had only had one "flight" trip per year I think our AD/coach were able to lobby to give the team an extra night in the hotel (and our coaches definitely used that as a recruiting tool - that we had an away trip to Chicago and/or St. Louis every year, and that the team was allowed to go out in the city after the game, as long as we all made the team bus the next morning for the airport).

I'm not sure if that's really common or not, though (in fact, even in Division I football, I'm not sure if it's common that the away team stays over the night after the game, especially for afternoon games).  Anyone else know whether most schools that have a regular-season game with a flight typically stay over the second day, or if they usually leave that night?  Any other anecdotal experience to share?

This isn't limited to just D3 either.  I remember maybe a couple of years ago, San Diego St. head basketball coach Steve Fisher lit up the NCAA for sending whatever team the Aztecs just beat in the first round off to an airport at some ungodly hour to fly home immediately after a late game instead of lodging them for another night.  And this happened during the D1 men's basketball tournament, which we all know pays for absolutely everything.  Even then, they're cutting corners a bit. 

In totally unrelated news I'm sure, Steve Fisher's Aztec program is under investigation.   

[pg04]

Brockport just got lights 2 years ago, I think. And I think they've only used them once, to my knowledge. I love games under the lights, so if it's a close team I can see it as useful.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Thanx everyone for the feedback on staggering the start times of playoff games in close proximity to one another. As was posted earlier, there's probably only a handful of fans that would take advantage of it and it really does add to travel woes, which I had not considered. I was under the impression that travelling teams stayed the night before and the night after a game to travel home the next day - apparently that is not so.

Certainly worth discussing - but ultimately I think night playoff games in D3 is a non-starter for several of the reasons given here.

Re: traveling teams, this certainly is not one size fits all but for my lone away playoff game (CMU @ Wesley)which is relevant because it would have been on the NCAA's dime, we had a walkthrough at our place on Friday morning, the bus pulled out for Dover around noon on Friday, we had dinner and stayed over on Friday night, and then departed for home on Saturday afternoon, arriving back in Pittsburgh around 11 PM that night.

For regular-season games, trips that required a flight (Chicago, WashU-St Louis, and Colorado) we generally did stay over on Friday night before the game and Saturday night after the game, but I'm not sure that second night in a hotel is common.  Since we typically had only had one "flight" trip per year I think our AD/coach were able to lobby to give the team an extra night in the hotel (and our coaches definitely used that as a recruiting tool - that we had an away trip to Chicago and/or St. Louis every year, and that the team was allowed to go out in the city after the game, as long as we all made the team bus the next morning for the airport).

I'm not sure if that's really common or not, though (in fact, even in Division I football, I'm not sure if it's common that the away team stays over the night after the game, especially for afternoon games).  Anyone else know whether most schools that have a regular-season game with a flight typically stay over the second day, or if they usually leave that night?  Any other anecdotal experience to share?

This isn't limited to just D3 either.  I remember maybe a couple of years ago, San Diego St. head basketball coach Steve Fisher lit up the NCAA for sending whatever team the Aztecs just beat in the first round off to an airport at some ungodly hour to fly home immediately after a late game instead of lodging them for another night.  And this happened during the D1 men's basketball tournament, which we all know pays for absolutely everything.  Even then, they're cutting corners a bit. 

In totally unrelated news I'm sure, Steve Fisher's Aztec program is under investigation.   

For those interested...

http://www.mercurynews.com/national-sports-news/ci_25394696/steve-fisher-rips-ncaas-disgraceful-travel-policy-ncaa

"Teams are provided a chartered flight and hotel rooms by the NCAA for the tournament but once they lose, they have to fly home. That night, no matter what.

Even if it's after an overtime game in Spokane, Wash., that doesn't end until after 10:30 p.m. local time.

New Mexico State lost to San Diego State in the final game played Thursday night and then the Aggies were sent on their way – 1,600 miles back to campus in Las Cruces, N.M.

San Diego State coach Steve Fisher has a problem with that, and made a point to address it in the post-game press conference."

What seems a little strange to me is this: are those kids being sent to the airport to catch a commercial flight, or a private charter?  Because if they're flying commercial, doesn't the NCAA have to pay for tickets ahead of time for both teams that may or may not go used?  And if they're flying charter (which I assume they are)...is it really any cheaper to have a couple of chartered planes sitting there ready and waiting that might have to take kids back to either San Diego or New Mexico than it is to spring for one more night's hotel accommodations and have the plane take off in the morning?

I don't know much about the process of arranging travel for something like the NCAA basketball tournament.  D3 football playoffs are easy - the games are on Saturday and everyone goes home afterwards, win or lose.  But for D1 basketball - when half the teams go home on Thursday/Friday night and the other half stay until the weekend, and you don't know which half is which until that afternoon and evening - I assume that coordinating this is a little more complex.

[wartknight]

Another reason to schedule all games at 12:00 local is weather.  If the weather at 12:00 is horrendous, you have time to delay.  If the weather at 12:00 is fine, but horrendous several hours later, somebody's going to be tarred and feathered for scheduling a late game.

Do you really want to to go out of your way to put yourself in position for another UMHB-Texas Lutheran playoff postponement?

How many D3 stadiums have lights? With no DST it gets late awfully early...

Living on a D3 island I don't get to see a lot of D3 stadiums, would you guys say that not having lights is common?

I'd be surprised if more than half the stadiums in D3 have lights. Even those that do rarely use them. I think W&L plays about one game a year under the lights, mainly because of what it does for travel. Unless teams are staying over night after the game, it's a long ride home in the dark if the game ends at 9.

Really limits the usefulness versus the expense.

I know for some teams having the lights, helps with practice times, especially when multiple teams use the same field.

I agree, even while most schools (I assume) would have practice fields, lights add another option for practice times. Not sure if this is the norm, but I think many of the IIAC schools open up their fields for high school games during the season & playoffs. Most of those games would be under the lights.

[jknezek]

They are charter flights. Every couple years you get a news story about the dearth of charter flight options in late March because the tournament sucks up so many planes in the first round or two. Apparently it's a real burden on the wealthy and they quote a few, anonymously usually, about how they simply don't travel in that time period because of the inconvenience.

Interestingly enough, I think the last time I saw a version of that story it was from the NCAA's point of view lamenting that their aren't as many charter operations around anymore.

http://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2015-01-14/declining-availability-charter-flights-will-affect-ncaa-championships

[AO]

Thanx everyone for the feedback on staggering the start times of playoff games in close proximity to one another. As was posted earlier, there's probably only a handful of fans that would take advantage of it and it really does add to travel woes, which I had not considered. I was under the impression that travelling teams stayed the night before and the night after a game to travel home the next day - apparently that is not so.

I'm not sure if that's really common or not, though (in fact, even in Division I football, I'm not sure if it's common that the away team stays over the night after the game, especially for afternoon games).  Anyone else know whether most schools that have a regular-season game with a flight typically stay over the second day, or if they usually leave that night?  Any other anecdotal experience to share?

D1 teams and NFL teams for that matter fly home after the game without staying an extra night.

[Mugsy]

Seems there will be potential weather impacts on games in the Midwest in week 1 of playoffs.  Expecting anywhere from 1-6 inches of snow in northern Illinois from Friday night to Saturday afternoon, with dropping temps (upper 20's during game times).  Also projecting 20-30 mph wind gusts.

[K-Mack]

Hearing the disdain expressed by the committee chair on the ITH interview for mock brackets, I wouldn't be surprised if they intentionally avoided every possible first round matchup we put out there. I mean, I've never heard anything like that from a chair before, even off the record.

That was and IS insane.  Dude's got issues.

I didn't take it like that at all. I took it like "once you project something, it sets an expectation, and when we don't meet that expectation, it makes us look wrong, which is fine but sucks for the teams who got their hopes up."

[K-Mack]

Also, I don't think I've been on the boards all year, since Kickoff was released, not even to lurk ... but the chatter is high quality as always.

[wally_wabash]

Hearing the disdain expressed by the committee chair on the ITH interview for mock brackets, I wouldn't be surprised if they intentionally avoided every possible first round matchup we put out there. I mean, I've never heard anything like that from a chair before, even off the record.

That was and IS insane.  Dude's got issues.

I didn't take it like that at all. I took it like "once you project something, it sets an expectation, and when we don't meet that expectation, it makes us look wrong, which is fine but sucks for the teams who got their hopes up."

I look at it the from the other side- when we get 4/6 C's I think we got it wrong.   But I thought we did a good job during the bracketology show of laying out a couple of alternatives based on just the smallest of changes in the regional rankings. 

Would it be better if the projection we did during the bracketology was absolutely definitive?  Sure it would.  I think it would also be less interesting if there weren't *some* intrigue and mystery.  So there's the trade off, I suppose. 

[K-Mack]

Are the committee members paid for the selection process?

I don't believe so, aside from expenses and some swag.

I was trying to get some perspective from their side.  I think it's entirely fine that D3 does a mock draft.  That said, I can see from their perspective it would be like someone doing my job for me, and then waiting to see if I would do the job as well as they did. 
The thing with Pool B and C is there are only 7 choices- so all of their work is based on picking 7 teams (not counting the bracketing).  And, there is published information as to how those 7 teams should be selected.  And, it can't be argued that there are people on the D3.com staff and board participants that the committee knows follows the sport as close- and likely closer than they do. 

They are in an odd situation.

Well I think they make it odd by keeping secret the final regional rankings and the seeds. Transparency would equal greater understanding of the process, and I took the comment as "your projections unnecessarily got Platteville and Guilford's hopes up."

But if they wanted to eliminate that, publish the final regional rankings so we're all working with the same information and we can see what you see. Then the projections would either match their projections or we'd just agree to disagree.

I also think that there are people rotating on to the committee every couple of years and not all of them understand it as well as Pat, Greg, et. al., but usually there are enough people in the room to guide it through. This year must have been odd because of all the people who would have had to recuse themselves at certain points ... more than half of them had a team in the field/potential conflict of interest.

The #d3fb playoff selection committee: Kean AD, Albright HC, CCIW commish, Wabash HC, Thiel AD, UMHB AD, Whitworth HC, UW-Stout AD. #d3fb32