NFCA Softball Poll Out

[Turbine]

I've spent a lot of time researching and reviewing baseball & softball post season selections etc. I do not believe the selection committee gives any credence to the polls. The amount of data they have available to them is very large and much more relevant than other peoples opinions.

If you see Scott Farmer ask him if he has ever had the polls come up during a selection committee meeting. I'll ask if I see him.

I don't think they do either, but at the same time if they are on the committee they will pay attention to the sport all year. This includes looking at polls. If they were not they didn't take their job seriously. But they do.

Now then, once in the selection room and for the first time they see name (a) who is not ranked as opposed to team (b) who they have seen in the polls all year . . . the constant year long reminder can only be an advantage. Even if it is only subliminal.

jmo
igeaux.mobi

[Turbine]

Who is the contracting company for the ballpark

The great unkown, as far as I know. All I have heard is they are out of Florida.
igeaux.mobi

[Cajun90]

I don't think they do either, but at the same time if they are on the committee they will pay attention to the sport all year. This includes looking at polls. If they were not they didn't take their job seriously. But they do.

Now then, once in the selection room and for the first time they see name (a) who is not ranked as opposed to team (b) who they have seen in the polls all year . . . the constant year long reminder can only be an advantage. Even if it is only subliminal.

jmo
igeaux.mobi

I follow both sports pretty closely. I have looked at one baseball poll this year and none of the softball polls.

I think your premise is flawed a bit. If they are doing their job there isn't a team they "see for the first time" in the selection room.

My point is this. The general public has available to them the polls in an easy to obtain format. If they want more than that they have to start digging around.

The selection committee on the other hand has available to them a mass of data provided by the NCAA statistician on a regular basis during the season. It increases as the season nears an end. The polls aren't part of that data. The NCAA softball championship handbook spells it out the criteria below.

Primary Criteria

• Ratings Percentage Index (25% the institution’s winning percentage; 50% opponents’ success; 25% opponents’ strength of schedule); also bonus points for

wins against the top 50 teams and penalty points for losses against the teams 225 and above.

• Head-to-head competition.
• Results of the RPI

--record against ranked teams 1-25; 26-50, 51-100; 101-150;
--average RPI win;
--average RPI loss.

• Results versus common opponents.
• Significant wins and losses.

• End of season results

That is a lot of data for a lot of teams. Not a lot of poll watching time left.

Fans watch polls. NCAA selection committee members watch data.

[Turbine]

There is a reason advertisers run their commercials over and over.

For top of mind awareness, it works.

Being ranked in the polls is a nationally broadcast commercial.

It can't hurt, it can only help.

jmo
igeaux.mobi

[wgwillis]

_ Who is the contracting company for the ballpark _

In matters such as this, don't be surprised if the contractor has nothing to do with the slow completion rate. I have no idea who the contractor is nor do I care but it could be that UL is not putting up the money or intentionally telling the contractor to delay completion because they are waiting on funds to clear, etc or for some other reason. It may be more convuluted than one thinks.

If it was just a matter of kicking the contractor's butt I personally believe that would have been done a long time ago. I smell a rat!!

[Cajun90]

It can't hurt, it can only help.

jmo
igeaux.mobi

Agree. Being ranked doesn't hurt.

I just see a couple of myths perpetuated about post season play.

1. Not having state of the art facilities keeps you from hosting a regional. It helps but if you meet the minimum criteria lots of other factors stack up for hosting prior to having top notch facilities.
2. Position in the polls has a significant influence in reaching the post season or in post season seeding. If there is any influence it would extremely small.

[Frenchie35]

_ Last word was that it would be ready for the Sun Belt Conference tournament, which the Cajuns host this year. _

They are bricking the front wall. Wouldn't you think that the need to finish the press box and rest rooms first and install the rest of the chairback seats. This whole idea of building a softball stadium and have it finish is a joke. It looks like someone is tell the AD departememt to sit back and shut up. We will hand over the keys when we are good and ready. If you look at the schedule you can see that they have very little days to work before the SBC tournament. But this is something I have mention before with comments from some that it will be great when completed..........

[Frenchie35]

_ The great unkown, as far as I know. All I have heard is they are out of Florida.
igeaux.mobi _

I asked the one who is doing the steel work and if I remember right he said "Stadium seating" was the contractor. He also said that he was in over his head in doing this job. This was his first in doing a complete stadium. All his work was insetalling the seating. This steel worker done some work for him before.

[tank]

Arizona and Arizona State travel almost every year for Regionals,then come home and host Super Regional .Location of other teams and $$$$$$$/highest bidder takes precedence,in my opinion.

[Turbine]

Something else that can influence their decision . . .

"I like that team"
igeaux.mobi