3/25/01 8:10:02 PM, Greenie <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Is the theory really that it's "better for the fans" for teams to play on
>successive days? It certainly isn't better for the teams. What's wrong with
>Thursday-Saturday or Friday-Sunday matchups at this stage?

In that case, why don't they expand to 16 teams (8 in each region)
and play 2 games on Thursday, Friday, & Saturday? I admit that's a
lot of hockey....

This is an excerpt from a Saturday article in the Albany Times Union:

'Early Saturday afternoon, Tom Jacobs, the Director of Championships
for the NCAA, marveled over the intensity of the two overtime games,
but admitted the format will be discussed. "It is awfully tough for a team
to play that late and come back and play a team that had a bye,'' Jacobs
said. "It is an unfortunate situation.'' '

This was in respect to Maine & Colorado College playing overtime games
on Friday and then having to play a rested team the next night.

This may not mean anything to a lot of us, but at least the NCAA is
acknowledging that the format is a little unfair to those who do not have
the bye.

I agree with Greenie. I've been interested in knowing when the NCAA
will expand to 16 teams, given that the number of eligible teams is
growing each year and that the bye is (almost) too much of an advantage
for the top 2 teams.

>With the extra week now thrown in, why not have the regionals in successive
>weeks rather than successive days? I'm not crazy about it, but it sure
>beats this bye-game business.

How would that work, then? Play the first round in week 1 on Friday & Saturday
and then the QFs the next week? That would be a lot of travel for the teams,
unless the tournament is moved back to on-campus sites.

-Andy