Bracketology Starts

[Beeeej]

any school can host, it just may not be super local..  Cornell would do it(Buff/albany/pitt?) but our Ath Dept can barely run our own venue let alone organize one someplace else.

But Holy cross is not winning their tourney

What am I missing, why would SCS fly if ND is not in it.  wouldnt they just try to flip around some other #4 seed?

Were we to ever host (fat chance, I know), I think either Syracuse or Binghamton would be the possible venues.  Both cities have AHL rinks that would seem suitable.

As far as I know, there's no serious requirement for the host school to be within a specific radius of the venue. Michigan Tech hosted a 2012 regional in Green Bay, Wisconsin, over 200 miles away. By those standards, MSG would be perfect for Cornell.

[Swampy]

any school can host, it just may not be super local..  Cornell would do it(Buff/albany/pitt?) but our Ath Dept can barely run our own venue let alone organize one someplace else.

But Holy cross is not winning their tourney

What am I missing, why would SCS fly if ND is not in it.  wouldnt they just try to flip around some other #4 seed?

Frequent flyer miles?

[Dafatone]

http://www.playoffstatus.com/ncaahockey/ncaahockeytournseedprob.html

St. Cloud has basically wrapped up the #1 overall.  Cornell is one of the next five teams vying for #2-6, with the rest of the pack looking at #7 and lower.

Interesting to see the gradual decline in our chances for a #1 seed.  Still pretty good... but the odds of a #2 seed are now up to 28%.  

Also interesting also that Penn State is now virtually a lock with high probability of being a #3 seed.

"Oh no, here comes BearLover with another one of his rants about the prediction model." This model is helpful in that it informs us what our range of PWR outcomes is. But don't put too much faith in that 28% number. The model is overrating our chances of beating each of our opponents in the ECAC tournament.

Unfortunately, it's likely the Atlantic Hockey auto bid will be the only significantly easier matchup this year, so I'm personally focusing on Cornell hoisting the Whitelaw Cup, rather than  their NCAA seeding.

At this point, I bet it's less about our odds to win and more that even if we lose two, we're not very likely to drop out of the top right.

I say, jinxing everything...

[upprdeck]

anyone heard any more about the effort to go back on site for the first round?

[adamw]

anyone heard any more about the effort to go back on site for the first round?

We write about this all the time. It's doubtful this will happen any time soon.

[upprdeck]

Always hope, and the fact they are holding off with 2020 site announcements.I know its a long shot, just seemed after multiple stories last spring nothing has been announced either way. perhaps waiting to see attendance again this year.

"The three new options that are expected to be discussed are allowing home venues to bid on predetermined regional sites, moving the four regionals to the home venue of the No. 1 seed or turning the first weekend into eight best-of-three series on the campus of the higher seed."

[Al DeFlorio]

Always hope, and the fact they are holding off with 2020 site announcements.I know its a long shot, just seemed after multiple stories last spring nothing has been announced either way. perhaps waiting to see attendance again this year.

"The three new options that are expected to be discussed are allowing home venues to bid on predetermined regional sites, moving the four regionals to the home venue of the No. 1 seed or turning the first weekend into eight best-of-three series on the campus of the higher seed."

Please...no best of three.

[upprdeck]

I am all in on best of 3.. in a best world all the rounds would be best of 3.  Why are you against it?

[Trotsky]

I am all in on best of 3.. in a best world all the rounds would be best of 3.

In a perfect world the 1R and QF are best of 3 at campus site.  The F4 is perfect the way it already is.

[Trotsky]

"The three new options that are expected to be discussed are (1) allowing home venues to bid on predetermined regional sites, (2) moving the four regionals to the home venue of the No. 1 seed or (3) turning the first weekend into eight best-of-three series on the campus of the higher seed."

(1) No, this is the stupid thing we already do that sucks.

(2) Better, but it does create one or two games without the host playing that would be attendance poison.  And why do it that way since there is a perfect solution in...

(3) But if we do this (which we should) that should also commit the QF to the same format.

[Trotsky]

There's a 4th solution, too.  Keep the regionals.  Get rid of hosts and intraconference restriction and concentrate on seeding by actual region.  Have a very tight rotation around 2-3 true regional sites:

West: St. Paul, Denver
Central: Chicago, Detroit
East: Albany, Worcester
Northeast: Manchester, Boston

Break the PWR standings into 4 bands; within band, start with the best team and seed to the closest site.  Rinse and repeat.

So, right now (guessing at mileage):

Sioux Falls

1. (1) St. Cloud
2. (5) Mankato
3. (9) Minn-Duluth
4. (13) Minnesota

Allentown

1. (2) Notre Dame
2. (6) Denver
3. (11) Penn State
4. (14) UNO

Worcester

1. (3) Cornell
2. (7) Ohio State
3. (10) Northeastern
4. (15) North Dakota

Bridgeport

1. (4) Ohio State
2. ( Clarkson
3. (12) Providence
4. (22) Mercyhurst

[RichH]

I am all in on best of 3.. in a best world all the rounds would be best of 3.

In a perfect world the 1R and QF are best of 3 at campus site.  The F4 is perfect the way it already is.

Ugh. No, I'm with Al: No best of 3. The NCAA basketball tournament is so popular BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR UPSETS. Cornell could have advanced in 1991 after an incredible victory, but instead it's just a footnote in all the "Why Yost Rules" legends. The top teams already have tons of advantages...why give them more?  

I'm all on board with your 4th suggestion.

[BigRedHockeyFan]

Keep the regionals.  Get rid of hosts and intraconference restriction and concentrate on seeding by actual region.   Have a very tight rotation around 2-3 true regional sites

Ditto, but with one exception.  Playing in Denver always gives the altitude adapted teams an advantage (Denver, CC, Air Force).

[marty]

I am all in on best of 3.. in a best world all the rounds would be best of 3.

In a perfect world the 1R and QF are best of 3 at campus site.  The F4 is perfect the way it already is.

Ugh. No, I'm with Al: No best of 3. The NCAA basketball tournament is so popular BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR UPSETS. Cornell could have advanced in 1991 after an incredible victory, but instead it's just a footnote in all the "Why Yost Rules" legends. The top teams already have tons of advantages...why give them more?  

I'm all on board with your 4th suggestion.

Also I'll add in a Bearlover free world that Yale's run to the title gave the EZAC cred. Single elimination is what makes for spiking HBP. Let me sweat bullets once a year.

[upprdeck]

Populate in what way?  the fact the regionals are empty in many places if they dont have a real power that travels? its draw is TV money not how well it sells tickets.