(05-28-2019, 09:11 AM)OutsiderFan Wrote: Let's be real here. The SEC teams have bigger stadiums and draw more fans. TV ratings really don't factor in because TV games can be played anywhere. I would be shocked if home attendance and ability to make money that way isn't a large factor in the seedings.
You may as well assert that they seeded the teams based on the color of their uniforms or something else. Neither is listed in the criteria.
[Edit: 5/28 Updating to a newer NCAA Participant Manual that lists the committee members including the previously "TBD" person.]
https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/champio...Manual.pdf (Oct 2018)
https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/champio...Manual.pdf (Apr 2019?)
Quote:At-large teams will be assigned to the various regionals by the Division I Baseball Committee. The committee will seed the
top 16 national seeds. The 16 No. 1 teams will not be assigned to the same regional. Whenever possible, other teams will
be assigned to regionals using the closest possible geographical consideration. However, teams may be moved outside
their regions, if necessary, to balance the bracket numerically, or if the proximity to an opponent outside the region would be
comparable and a better competitive matchup would occur.
...
[regarding at-large selections - not in the newer Participant document]
In addition, the committee also uses the Rating Percentage Index (RPI), a computer program that provides the committee
with (1) the institution’s Division I winning percentage, (2) opponents’ average winning percentage and (3) opponents’
opponents’ average winning percentage. The RPI is an additional tool used in the evaluation of at-large teams. Please
note that the adjusted RPI takes into account a bonus/penalty structure. For more specific questions, please contact [person] at [phone number].
The committee may consider comparative data of individual teams, including, but not limited to, overall record; Division I
record; overall RPI rank; nonconference record and RPI rank; conference regular-season record and conference tournament
results; road record and RPI; last 15 games’ record; its record against teams ranked 1-25, 26-50, 51-100, 101-150 and below
150 in the RPI; head-to-head record; common opponents’ record; and input from regional advisory committees.
...
National Committee
Current members of the committee are:
SOUTHEAST REGION
Jeff Altier
Director of Athletics
Stetson University
EAST REGION
Dave Blank
Director of Athletics
Elon University
MIDWEST REGION
Mike Bobinski
Director of Athletics
Purdue University
SOUTHEAST REGION
Mike Buddie
Director of Athletics
Furman University
SOUTH REGION
Chris Del Conte
Director of Athletics
University of Texas at Austin
SOUTH REGION
Joe Karlgaard
Director of Athletics
Rice University
WEST REGION
TBD
Desiree Reed-Francois
Director of Athletics
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
EAST REGION
Benjamin Shove
Associate Commissioner for Sports Services
Northeast Conference
SOUTHEAST REGION
Ray Tanner, chair
Director of Athletics
University of South Carolina, Columbia
WEST REGION
Marianne Vydra
Deputy Director of Athletics for Administration, Senior
Woman Administrator
Oregon State University
Wow, 3 southeast regions, 2 east regions, 2 south regions, 2(maybe) west regions, 1 midwest region (where "midwest" is east of the Mississippi). [Edit: The regions were removed in the newer document.] My guess is the members are elected from the regional committee, and those regions are a reflection of that election, not that the committee is always composed of these numbers from these regions.
I am presuming that the "Baseball Committee" is the "National Committee", but perhaps I am wrong. There was an August 2018 meeting of the "Baseball Committee" that had 9 attendees and 1 absentee. 8 were the 8 of the National Committee minus the two positions for the West. The other two were from Univ of San Francisco and from VPI (absentee).[Edit: The newer document dropped "National Committee" and uses "Baseball Committee".]
The [older] document also lists the regional advisory committees (1 committee from each of east, midwest, south, southeast, west)
[Note that the document apparently mistakenly lists Vydra in both the SE and W regional committees. I presume that Roy Tanner of Univ of So. Carolina was intended to be listed in the SE regional committee instead.] The regional committees appear to include at least one from each(many?) conference (2 from PAC-12, SEC, ...)