Pac12 substantively changes MBB scheduling -
TreesAndBirds - 05-22-2019
Apologies if I missed this, but was new to me....
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/05/22/behind-the-scenes-of-the-pac-12s-move-to-implement-standards-for-non-conference-basketball-schedules/
RE: Pac12 substantively changes MBB scheduling -
Canalejas - 05-22-2019
From the Pac-12
announcement:
Quote:Following support from the Pac-12 Council and Pac-12 Athletic Directors at their meetings earlier this month, the CEO Group voted to introduce non-Conference scheduling standards to enhance Pac-12 men’s basketball non-conference schedules. This follows approval by the Pac-12 Council of a move to a 20-game Conference men’s basketball schedule starting with the 2020-2021 season. The approved new non-conference scheduling standards include the following elements: (i) a non-Conference five-year trailing average of opponents’ NET ranking must be 175 or less, (ii) no participation in road buy games, (iii) no regular season games against non-Division I opponents and (iv) no road games versus a non-conference opponent with a five-year trailing average of 200 NET.
RE: Pac12 substantively changes MBB scheduling -
Farm93 - 05-22-2019
Seems logical enough.
Stronger conferences can have the weakest teams do whatever it takes to get into the CBI, NIT or even NCAA bubble levels as the stronger teams easily give every conference team a decent RPI. They can play non-conference cupcakes because the best teams given all conference participants viable SOS rankings.
The Pac-12 doesn't have enough (any) strong RPI teams, so even the top tier teams are negatively impacted when the weakest teams play really bad teams. I see this as a move to try to get an extra team or two into the NCAA tournament by upgrading the overall schedule quality across the conference. It would be better to get an extra team or two by having 5 or 6 teams with a credible chance of advancing into the Sweet 16, but as that seems unlikely in the next few years this is a decent idea IMHO.