NCAA Tournament Committee Changes Bracket Process

[Cajunsmike]

Mike you've bought into the it can't be done catagory. I'm pretty sure Dr. Maggard won't accept this style of scheduling excuses for too long.

The reason we cannot get home and home with some teams you mentioned is our own abismal RPI. I'm suggesting teams in the top 100 RPI Mike, not SWAC, or SLC teams. You have to be more interested in your RPI than your bottom line.

But Marlin is in good company that's the way almost every SBC team schedules.

I am not in category it cannot be done. As I said earlier I would play a few more road games to improve RPI. You may also have a point in that were we to have notable success for a couple of years, we may be able to attract higher quality opponents to come here. As things stand however, we will not be able to get teams in the top 100 to come here with out doing things like 2 for 1. I already said I would consider such a move for some teams

[Cajunsmike]

What is the reason for this??

Reason those schools don't want to play home and home is belief a loss to us would hurt their recruiting. StAte education administrators had to get involved to get the UNO series done. Now that they have done that, they have no interest in renewing.

[Cajunsmike]

I think you asked the $64,000 question. What is Maggard's philosophy about scheduling? How does he juggle the ball$ between a team's performance and facility upgrades? It's hard for me to figure out just what can be accomplished and what realistic expectations are.

Realistic expectation to me is a year like 2013-14 happen much more frequently. When that was over CBS sports ranked our overall program in top 40 in nation. Very few mid majors were even close to that

[CajunEXPRESS]

I am not in category it cannot be done. As I said earlier I would play a few more road games to improve RPI. You may also have a point in that were we to have notable success for a couple of years, we may be able to attract higher quality opponents to come here. As things stand however, we will not be able to get teams in the top 100 to come here with out doing things like 2 for 1. I already said I would consider such a move for some teams

That's why I said charge another hundred per season tickets and you'd have the money for good visitors to build RPI. Two good schools instead of SWAC or non division one schools.

[Ragin4U]

Can't have a basketball discussion without the obligatory "3 wins in March, padding the schedule" BS.

I think its great that they are willing to look at it, but the reality is that some people will always complain about the teams that got left out and how the teams are seeded. There are much better ways to rate teams other than RPI but as the article pointed out, RPI is easy. NCAA will most likely stick with easy.
Until the NCAA forces top P5 teams to play more OOC road games, the perennial bluebloods will always have a huge advantage come tourney seeding time.

[zephyr]

I agree that many fans don't care anymore about basketball at schools like ours. A couple of back to back NCAA tournament appearances could change that. As far as home schedule is concerned we are still facing issue that schools like USM, Tulane, Rice, Houston, and Lamar refuse to play us home and home. Now you can add UNO to that number. Paying people to come here would likely hurt RPI as you would pay SWAc schools to come here and you would get only a few more to attend that game than a D2 school would draw. D2 has no impact on RPI unless you lose so in some ways you are better off with that approach. So what can be done about it. I like the idea of going to a place twice for a return visit here but the staff does not want to do that. Travel and impact on school is one reason. They don't want to play 18 road games and 13 home games as would result at times with that approach. In general, I would be OK with a few more road games but neither I nor anyone here is being listened to when it comes to scheduling decisions

So Mike, the question I and many people have is why don't those schools choose to schedule us home and home? I can see in football its harder but basketball should be easier to fill that schedule. Why would teams such as USM, Tulane and Houston not come to Lafayette?

[zephyr]

Can't have a basketball discussion without the obligatory "3 wins in March, padding the schedule" BS.

Its not BS. You will not build a true program if you are only concerned about getting into the tournament every 4 years or so. We've performed to this model for years and it has done nothing to enhance our program beyond what it was before. Especially when the at focus usually leads you to a 13-14 or even 16 seed for which you are playing a team you are not likely to beat.

What many people want is a schedule and more importantly a focus on beginning that winning tradition through successful regular seasons that translate into conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. I can still look at a season as being "successful" if we won a conference title but were somehow left out of the Big Dance. i could look back on that season and say we did something and accomplished something.

Also, to your point I think you make it sound a lot easier than it truly is. I don't think there is anything that the NCAA can or will do to make the P5 teams play OOC road games, certainly nothing that will make them start traveling to play the likes of UL.

[Hark Mudspeth]

So Mike, the question I and many people have is why don't those schools choose to schedule us home and home? I can see in football its harder but basketball should be easier to fill that schedule. Why would teams such as USM, Tulane and Houston not come to Lafayette?

Because after 8 years Bob Marlin has this program where UNO thinks we are beneath them...that's what he has accomplished.

[BeauCajun]

Is it just me or did the prices increase by a good bit

Mine went down $25 per ticket.

[CajunEXPRESS]

If you were in lot C last year, you'd better pay attention. Your RCAF requirement is now one grand.

The tickets I got are a hundred dollars more for a pair. The RCAF for parking five hundred more minimum. That's a potential 700.00 more for lots of people.