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Date Posted: 21:36:09 03/11/02 Mon
Author: Sniper
Subject: RPI and Seeding Analysis

The NCAA selection committee uses the RPI to help them seed. But they do make adjustments. These adjustments favor the power conferences.

10 teams received bids that were 2 spots or better than their RPI seeding. 8 out of those 10 teams were Big Six teams from the power conferences. The Pac 10, Big 10, SEC, and Big East all benefited from substantial RPI upgrades. Funny how these conferences play the RPI game to get good RPIs in the first place, and then they are actually upgraded from their padded RPIs again.

8 power conference teams received upgraded seeding of 2 or more spots in the RPI. The total number of seeds gained among the 8 teams in relation to the RPI was 26. This may be confusing, so here is a simple example. USC was 26th in the RPI. 26th translates into a 7 seed. USC got a four seed, so they gained three seeds.

If the power conferences gained 26 seeds in relation to the RPI, where did those favorable seeds possibly come from? Quite surprisingly, I may have found the answer.

There were 11 teams that were downgraded by 2 or more spots from their true RPI seed. Of those downgraded teams, 9 of the 11 schools were from non big six schools. The power conferences don't take to lightly to losing seeds; I am surprised that even 2 got downgraded.

Of the 9 schools that were downgraded relative to the RPI, they collectively lost a total of 25 seeds. Here are the downgraded schools.

Downgraded
Team Spots
Western Ky 2
Pennsylvania 2
Central Conn 2
Xavier 3
Kent St 3
Hawaii 3
Tulsa 3
San Diego St 3
Utah 4
25

This is the NCAA version of stealing for the poor and giving to the rich. And with this format, the rich just get richer. Every one of the teams that I have listed above had a great year, and they are all capable teams. They all lost on average almost 3 seed placements to their true RPI. If these teams were given their normal seeds, the chances for them to win games would greatly increase. The powers that be don't see a benefit in that; they just like filling their own pockets with tournament revenue.


Let's get ridiculous now. I want to take it a step further. I have already pointed out that the Power Conferences benefited from 26 seed placements from large RPI moves, and that the smaller conferences lost 25 spaces from negative RPI moves.

Let's say that I was king for a day, and instead of taking 3 seeds away from the teams that I listed above, I actually gave them the same benefit extended to the power conference. That is right, I am going to seed those teams 3 seeds higher than their actual RPI. Here are what their seeds would be:

Enhanced
Team Seed
Western Ky 4
Pennsylvania 6
Central Conn 9
Xavier 1
Kent St 4
Hawaii 4
Tulsa 6
San Diego St 7
Utah 5

That shows you just how ridiculous these seeding swings are. But in effect, that is exactly what the power elite are doing to us. The power conferences would have been bringing lawsuits against the NCAA if your bracket looked like that. And with seeds like that, more than half those teams above would probably make the Sweet 16.

I don't want to take this any longer. I am sick of getting pissed on by the big money conferences that won't dare make a trip into any of our arenas. I say power to the people! The revolution must begin today.

The small conferences need to get together. We need a leader with moxy and swagger. Someone to fight for our cause and articulate our arguments on a national platform. We need to let the world know about the injustice that is the NCAA selection committee, which routinely rewards themselves and their power conferences with too many bids and all the good seeds.

The league or group of disgruntled leagues needs to file a lawsuit requiring full disclosure of the NCAA selection committee and their process for selection and seeding of teams. What are the "secret adjustments", and why do we have "secret adjustments"? I believe it is just a tool to cover their own asses. What in the hell can be such a secret anyway? Tell the teams what they are. We should know what we have to do, so in the future our teams can plan accordingly. The NCAA should tell us the criteria that we are being judged upon, it is only fair.

The NCAA is a non profit institution, and enjoys tax free status even though they make billions of dollars. Having special tax free status also means being accountable for your actions. Through tournaments and bowl games, the NCAA redistributes billions of dollars of wealth. The decisions that are made to allocate that wealth, like seeding and selection of teams, should be open to public scrutiny. Most states have open records laws, and some prohibit close door meetings. I am no legal eagle, but we need to find a way. Somebody has to find a legal basis for opening the doors of the selection committee and forcing the truth to be known.

Join the revolution! Take to the streets fellow Americans. Email your AD and write to your sports editor. Dive naked into a tub full of lime Jell-O. Do what needs to be done. We are mad as hell, and we aren't going to take it anymore. Power to The People!

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