> Joseph M LaCour wrote:
 
> Let' see if I can get this straight (jacket)....
>
> Maine goes 2 - 0 & UNO next weekend.  For stats purposes,
> their record is 2 - 0 - 0 and all stats count..  But for purposes
> of the RPI and PWR, they're at 000 until they play a non
> emerging program.
>
> I originally was posting an argument to count the games, but
> not all D1 clubs are playing emerging programs and the PWR and
> RPI could get skewed because of this (Joe Shlobotnik could answer
> this).
>
> So where is the incentive to play an emerging program?  It seems
> to me you get a double whammy out of it.  a)  They count against
> your 34 game limit and b) they DO NOT count on your PWR and RPI.
> c) You could lose, does not figure in because the games do not
> count....
 
Actually, I was under the impression that it would hurt the team more to
include games against such an emerging program.  Consider the possibility
that such a team has a very hard time of it, and doesn't win many games...
What would the impact of playing an opponent with a horrible winning
percentage due to the opponent's winning percentage factor?
 
After all, if you are coach of a top-tier program and are given a choice
between scheduling one of two teams:
 
        Team A:  Emerging program, very easy win.  Will have
                   a weak schedule and a probably low winning
                   percentage.
 
        Team B:  Non-emerging, but struggling program, not as
                   easy, but still a "sure" thing.  Will have an
                   average schedule and an average winning
                   percentage.
 
If both teams count in the RPI calculations, you would likely pick Team B
when filling out your schedule, because that team would give the bigger lift
to your RPI at the end of the season.  Thus, by eliminating the impact of
scheduling Team A upon your end of season RPI, the playoff-thinking teams
are more likely to give those "need an easy win at this point in the
schedule" slots to an emerging program.
 
Of course, there is a balance to all this, and you won't really know until
the end of the season whether it would have been better to include them in
the RPI or not.  After all, the emerging program could end up with a better
than expected record. But, if you look at the LIKELY impact that would
occur, eliminating them from the RPI calculations is probably a good thing
and ENCOURAGES the likelihood that the higher-tier programs will add the
emerging programs to their schedule.
 
 
Adam Bryant
 
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