2023 NCAA Tournament

[Pat Coleman]

Thanks. I know they used to have the 3rd place game and replaced it with the all-star game, I was curious if they may reinstate the 3rd place game to "fill time" since the Final Four weekend has been extended for a day. Possibly scheduling the all-star game and/or the 3rd place game on Friday.

I can't imagine they keep two teams that lost semifinals around for TWO nights to do this.

[Greek Tragedy]

If they lose on Thursday, I would have them play Friday to fill that extra day. Maybe even have the all-star game Friday as well. I don't see them bringing back that game anyway.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

We don't need to "fill time" or pay for the use of the facility in full for the middle day.

This move to add a day off is for all sports in DIII and honestly we need it. There is a strong argument that national championship games are impacted by players not having enough rest from hard fought battles the day before just to get to the title game. Any other round, maybe it isn't as significant, but we are talking about the national championship. (Also allows teams to have actual practices and walk-throughs before such an important battle.)

And honestly, fans and their work schedules is not going to dictate anything when it comes to national championships schedules. Is it inconvenient to have a day off in the middle? Yep. Does the Thursday/Saturday really the best way to do it? We shall see.

What I think will happen but we won't see until next year is the men's and women's schedules alternate even though they are not in the same facility. This year men are Th/Sat ... next year they may be Fri/Sun while women play Thu/Sat - and it will change every year. That way each gender gets its spotlight. They do that at soccer, though they use the same facility.

It can be something we ask the committee the next opportunities we get.

As for a third-place game returning - nope. That's dead. It won't return. Teams and coaches had lost interest in it. The 2009 final version was a joke of a game. F&M didn't even bother trying. Coaches watching were so fed up they got the All-Star Game to replace it.

The ASG will be played at Noon on Saturday ahead of the championship game.

[Great Day to be a Royal]

Thanks. I know they used to have the 3rd place game and replaced it with the all-star game, I was curious if they may reinstate the 3rd place game to "fill time" since the Final Four weekend has been extended for a day. Possibly scheduling the all-star game and/or the 3rd place game on Friday.

I can't imagine they keep two teams that lost semifinals around for TWO nights to do this.

Furthermore, I can't think of a player or team competing in the Final Four who would want to play in a 3rd place game after losing the chance to play for a national championship.

[toad22]

Thanks. I know they used to have the 3rd place game and replaced it with the all-star game, I was curious if they may reinstate the 3rd place game to "fill time" since the Final Four weekend has been extended for a day. Possibly scheduling the all-star game and/or the 3rd place game on Friday.

I can't imagine they keep two teams that lost semifinals around for TWO nights to do this.

Furthermore, I can't think of a player or team competing in the Final Four who would want to play in a 3rd place game after losing the chance to play for a national championship.

The idea than nobody cared or tried in those third place games isn't correct. I think Williams played in three third place games, and they wanted to win very badly. Who wants to end the season on a loss? I understand why the game went away. But, for most of it's existence it was a keenly contested game, and a lot of fun to watch. Way better than the all star game, IMHO.

[Greek Tragedy]

Thanks for the input, Dave. As I've said, from a fan's perspective, it's really offsetting. I know the NCAA doesn't care about the fans in that sense, but yeah, we have jobs, vacation time, costs for hotels etc.

I'm really curious to hear the arguments of the Title game being effected by the players' lack of rest etc. There have been some great championship games over the years.  Maybe teams that play back to back games throughout the year actually have an advantage? I'm not sure.

Players and teams have been fighting for several weeks at the end of the season and post-season playing back to back games, at the very least the last two weekends. Are they as important as the championship game? Some may argue because if you lose, you're done. No one is going to say, "Oh, it's not the championship game, so I guess we don't have to try as hard..." You have the "lose and you're done" attitude for 2 or 3 weekends now.

It will be interesting on how the extra day effects the championship game attendance. If you lose Friday, I would imagine there's a good number of fans that would stick around for an afternoon championship game the next day. Losing on Thursday, there isn't much motivation to stick around for the extra day to watch the championship game. I, for one, will probably book a room for Thursday night, watch the two semi-final games, and probably drive home Friday. If the championship game suits me, I'll drive back Saturday morning, but a lot fans don't have that luxury.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Not that it would've likely made much difference, but John Baines said, after the title game last year, he thought they could've been better prepared for the RMC defense with an extra day. He's among the best, most creative game planners in d3, so I give that comment some extra weight. It's not just fatigue.  It gives everyone a chance to be at their best.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

What if D2 went to a 3 weekend tournament like the other divisions and D2 and D3 held a joint Final Four? D3 Thursday and Saturday, D2 Friday and Sunday. Teams would get their off day to rest and plan, fans would have more action to watch, and you'd have more fans attending since there's more teams there.

[Pat Coleman]

Thanks. I know they used to have the 3rd place game and replaced it with the all-star game, I was curious if they may reinstate the 3rd place game to "fill time" since the Final Four weekend has been extended for a day. Possibly scheduling the all-star game and/or the 3rd place game on Friday.

I can't imagine they keep two teams that lost semifinals around for TWO nights to do this.

Furthermore, I can't think of a player or team competing in the Final Four who would want to play in a 3rd place game after losing the chance to play for a national championship.

The idea than nobody cared or tried in those third place games isn't correct. I think Williams played in three third place games, and they wanted to win very badly. Who wants to end the season on a loss? I understand why the game went away. But, for most of it's existence it was a keenly contested game, and a lot of fun to watch. Way better than the all star game, IMHO.

Based on the 20 or so Final Fours I attended during the third-place game era, I'd say that probably 50% to 60% of the teams were motivated to play in the third place game.

[y_jack_lok]

What if D2 went to a 3 weekend tournament like the other divisions and D2 and D3 held a joint Final Four? D3 Thursday and Saturday, D2 Friday and Sunday. Teams would get their off day to rest and plan, fans would have more action to watch, and you'd have more fans attending since there's more teams there.

^^^This seems like a decent idea.

On the matter of the day off between the semis and the championship, it could affect attendance in that some fans might not go to the semis but, with a full day to devote to travel, decide to go for the championship game if their team is playing.

[Pat Coleman]

If the D-II championship went to three weekends, then their Final Four would take place two weekends after ours.

[thebear]

I'm really curious to hear the arguments of the Title game being effected by the players' lack of rest etc. There have been some great championship games over the years.  Maybe teams that play back to back games throughout the year actually have an advantage? I'm not sure.

In the 1981 title game, Potsdam's Derrick Rowland pulled a hammy in the semi's, he and the trainer were up all night but he played in the final the next day that Potsdam won vs. Augustana in Rock Island in OT. That's one instance.

many conferences plays a Friday night, Saturday afternoon schedule then bus home after the Saturday game.

A 9 PM Friday; 7 or 8 PM Saturday is business as usual, plus at an NCAA Championship site, you usually go home the day after the title game.

[Pat Coleman]

many conferences plays a Friday night, Saturday afternoon schedule then bus home after the Saturday game.

I don't think this is true anymore. In your part of the country, yes, but it's no more than 15-20% of conferences nationwide, I'd say.

[deiscanton]

I am checking event1teamstore.com to see when they will start taking orders for the NCAA DIII men's and women's basketball tournament t-shirts.   Event1 has not started taking orders yet, but when they do, the short sleeve t-shirts are being priced at $32 and the long-sleeved t-shirts are being priced at $40.    These prices are what Event1 is charging for the DIII t-shirts for Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, as well as for the DIII Men's Wrestling Championships.

Unfortunately, there are no t-shirts being sold at 3xl or larger sizes from Event1, unlike the 3xl Hoopsville t-shirts you can currently buy up until Friday, February 17, 2023 from hoopsville.itemorder.com

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Per Hoopsville, here's the top 16 seeds currently:

1) Randolph-Macon
2) St Joseph (CT)
3) Middlebury
4) Swarthmore
5) Rowan
6) Stockton
7) Williams
8) Mount Union

9) John Carroll
10) Wheaton (IL)
11) Hampden-Sydney
12) Christopher Newport
13) UW-Oshkosh
14) Case Western Reserve
15) WashU
16) Johns Hopkins