(posting from Stan Israel, [log in to unmask] .. wts)
 
Steve Weisfeldt writes -
 
>Why is this?  I've never been able to understand the importance
>put on the post season conference tournaments.  (My feelings are
>the same for hoops). Putting such merit on winning the tournament
>and giving the automatic bid to the winner renders the regular
>season meaningless.   -
 
As I understand it -- in the past the NC$$ gave each conference
one automatic bid and allowed each conference to decide on what
criteria they would use.  They could choose the last place team
in the regular season if they wanted.  Most often the conferences
chose the post season tournament winner.  The logic for this
choice was to have the team that was playing best at the end of
the season represent the conference at the NC$$ National
Championship Tournament.  Remember the conference directors could
not give a dam about fairness, etc., etc.,   All they care about
is having one of their teams win the National Championship.
 
I do agree that not enough is made of winning the conference
regular season.  Actually the new selection criteria will give
more status to the regular season winner than they have in the past.
 
Stan Israel