A little preseason softball publicity

[Just1More]

Hard to disagree with this. The result of our ridiculous seeding last year causes us now to play an unbelievably difficult schedule, with most of those games on the road. What a shame that such a program had to do this.

I agree. A program that is exceptional, but exists in stark contrast to the level most of its associate programs (UL athletics and the SBC) is severely handicapped in more way than one. If there's any program that deserves and drastically needs attention paid to improved conference affiliation, it's our ladies softball program.

Although it's unfair to have to do it, I like Mike's decision. Chances are, even if we don't maintain as lopsided of a record, the worst we'll probably do is end up seeded at what we have been getting seeded. But, if things go very well, it could shatter the glass ceiling the college softball world continues to impose on the Cajuns.

[sportsfanatic21]

I agree with this. I think we may be pleasantly surprised (seeding wise) if we go like 36-15 against this schedule rather than 45-6 against what we've been playing.

[Just1More]

I agree with this. I think we may be pleasantly surprised (seeding wise) if we go like 36-15 against this schedule rather than 45-6 against what we've been playing.

Well, we had a tough SOS last year and got screwed. And, we still have our conference games that we get handicapped for. The overreach is to go beyond a great SOS... and add a blistering OOC SOS. And I agree... if we don't get bonus points even with a blistering SOS... it's an extremely sad state of affairs with college athletics. If the Cajuns do well against this schedule, and we get screwed again, Scott better make the 6pm national headline news this go-around. He'll regret returning to Lafayette unless he's proudly displaying a couple of committee member scalps.

[Cajun90]

Well, we had a tough SOS last year and got screwed. And, we still have our conference games that we get handicapped for. The overreach is to go beyond a great SOS... and add a blistering OOC SOS. And I agree... if we don't get bonus points even with a blistering SOS... it's an extremely sad state of affairs with college athletics. If the Cajuns do well against this schedule, and we get screwed again, Scott better make the 6pm national headline news this go-around. He'll regret returning to Lafayette unless he's proudly displaying a couple of committee member scalps.

Just for reference purposes. The Cajuns OOC RPI for last year was ranked 2nd. Hard to improve much on that although this schedule would have the potential to boost our overall RPI value which is what is critical. The SBC was the seventh ranked conference for RPI last year. Not great but in the top half of the country.

Point is that we are limited in what we can control. With a couple of hundred teams playing and only eight #1 seeds it isn't easy to get there.

[Turbine]

UL had the #1 out of conference schedule and RPI in the country last year.

Is this the year RPI rewards road games a bit more? I hope so because otherwise I don't know how this will improve on last years #1 ranking.

edit: 2nd

[lcitsh]

I'm going to try to change a misconception some of you appear to have. Mike doesn't have to play a schedule this tough, he wants to play teams this good all the time. The 2011 schedule was an anomaly, the Cajuns never play teams that bad, it was simply one of those years where those teams had really bad seasons. The Cajuns normally play more than half their non-conference games away from home, for example, the 2010 schedule had us play 9 home non-conference games, 17 neutral and 4 road.

The problem with our post season seeding has never been about our resume. It has always been about the selection committee. It used to be that the committee was made up of people with a vested interest in placating the west coast schools. Now, it's beyond my scope of imagination. About 4 years ago, the committee roster began being filled with people with no ties whatsoever to the west coast schools nor any of the power conferences. And yet, these people still act like the PAC 12, the SEC and the Big 12 are the only programs that matter. Even Michigan, who has won a national championship, still gets treated like a second class citizen.

The unfortunate situation for us will remain. Until the selection committee starts treating all softball programs fairly, our only recourse is to beat every team we play and win a national championship. That's the only way to get the respect this program has earned.

[Just1More]

Just for reference purposes. The Cajuns OOC RPI for last year was ranked 2nd. Hard to improve much on that although this schedule would have the potential to boost our overall RPI value which is what is critical. The SBC was the seventh ranked conference for RPI last year. Not great but in the top half of the country.

Point is that we are limited in what we can control. With a couple of hundred teams playing and only eight #1 seeds it isn't easy to get there.

90, take one team out of our conference, the Cajuns, and the SBC is not the seventh ranked conference. And place us in one of the other conferences and they go up. 49-4 against that schedule and ending up the #14 seed in the NCAA tournament was a rip off. I know the entire argument was over their double and triple whammy RPI formula. We had that lengthy evaluation last year. My point is that Mike has up'd the ante even moreso, and although I agree with it, we should expect a better seed with a solid record. I know we dropped the ball by losing the SBC tourney, but last year's seed was a rip off. And it matters. We end up in our own tough regional against a very tough #2 and then get shipped to a super that we shouldn't have had to. It's not just "we cannot control this" and "there are 8 other more deserving programs". It was a rip off and Scott better get in touch with the violent side of his DNA if it happens again.

Let T-Joe be the after-the-fact damage control apologist. We constantly play good cop-good cop with this stuff. It is time to grab someone by the balls and let them know you're in the room.

[lcitsh]

UL had the #1 out of conference schedule and RPI in the country last year.

Is this the year RPI rewards road games a bit more? I hope so because otherwise I don't know how this will improve on last years #1 ranking.

edit: 2nd

One of the last things Scott wanted to do as committee chairman was to submit and get approved a new formula which was to reward road victories, much like the men's basketball formula does. I understand it was approved but I haven't seen it so I don't know how much of a factor it will be. I hope it is a factor because schools like Arizona State will be penalized for playing no road non-conference games this season.

[CajunRed]

One of the last things Scott wanted to do as committee chairman was to submit and get approved a new formula which was to reward road victories, much like the men's basketball formula does. I understand it was approved but I haven't seen it so I don't know how much of a factor it will be. I hope it is a factor because schools like Arizona State will be penalized for playing no road non-conference games this season.

THAT is a HUGE key!

[Just1More]

The unfortunate situation for us will remain. Until the selection committee starts treating all softball programs fairly, our only recourse is to beat every team we play and win a national championship. That's the only way to get the respect this program has earned.

You provide salient points. But, the idea that the committee will drift in the right direction by gravity alone... could ever happen... is a pipe dream. You make way too casual a remark... "we just have to beat every team we play and win a national championship" and totally disregard the issue that the RPI formula has double and triple unfair formula components. That needs to be addressed by all ADs.

I guess, in the past one of the additional points was, "well, the committee is made up mostly of members favorable to west coast teams". ADs from other conferences were vocal about changing that for the survival of the sport. Scott has to find ways to change our program's purely vertical climb. One of them is to think hard and take actions (before the fanbase blows up about it) on the impact of conference affiliation and another one of them is to make committee members very uncomfortable with the current RPI formula. He had better not be glad handing them and feeling good that they at least allow our ladies a seat anywhere on the bus.

[Just1More]

One of the last things Scott wanted to do as committee chairman was to submit and get approved a new formula which was to reward road victories, much like the men's basketball formula does. I understand it was approved but I haven't seen it so I don't know how much of a factor it will be. I hope it is a factor because schools like Arizona State will be penalized for playing no road non-conference games this season.

If he's actively getting that done, then we all approve. Funny that Scott publicly responded to the seeding last year but never mentioned this initiative. We had to find it out from the men's basketball clock operator.

[sportsfanatic21]

Scott has to find ways to change our program's purely vertical climb. One of them is to think hard and take actions (before the fanbase blows up about it) on the impact of conference affiliation and another one of them is to make committee members very uncomfortable with the current RPI formula. He had better not be glad handing them and feeling good that they at least allow our ladies a seat anywhere on the bus.

This will probably NEVER happen. (See football, NCAA, Boise St)