Craig Roberts writes:
 
>Responding to the message of "John T. Whelan" <[log in to unmask]>:
 
>>         2) Ineligible teams (eg Mankato State in 1996-1997) can still
>> be included in the PWR.  Last year UNO and Niagara asked not to be
>> included so D1 powers wouldn't shy away from playing them.  The
>> dynamic might be different with the teams in question safe within a
>> 28-game conference structure, so I think we have to see what the NCAA
>> says is happening this season.
 
>Mankato State was not included in the 1996-97 PWR but were in 1997-98 (anyone
>wondering about the two-year rule should know Mankato received a waiver of one
>year).  To be included in the PWR, a team MUST be eligible for NCAA post-season
>play to be considered in the PWR.
 
        By "included in the PWR", I mean that games against said teams
are included in calculation of the Ratings Percentage Index, common
opponents, record in last 20 games, etc.  And for that matter in
determining whether a team has a .500 or better record, and thus
becomes a "Team Under Consideration".  Teams ineligible for the
tournament can still be in this category, the most recent example
being Mankato State in 1996-1997.  (They were doubly ineligible, since
they were in their probationary year *and* only played 17 D1 games.)
I was surprised to learn this myself; Keith Instone can explain the
reasons for it.
 
        For that matter, games against Maine also counted towards the
RPI etc that season, even though they were banned from the postseason.
And since the Black Bears ended up with a winning record, games
against them were also considered in calculating *other* teams'
"record vs TUC".
 
        Of course, ineligible teams are not "included in the PWR" in
the sense that anyone should calculate pairwise comparisons between
them and anyone else, even if they had ended up with a non-losing
record.  But they can, if the committee chooses, play a role in
determining the comparison between two *other* teams.
 
                                         John Whelan, Cornell '91
                                               <[log in to unmask]>
                      <http://www.cc.utah.edu/~jtw16960/joe.html>
 
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