What do you folks think of this?
The MAC regular season champ should get to play the first game on their home court. Give the regular season champ some reward, beyond just playing the #8 seed.
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Conference just got handed a nice chunk of change from Sac St. Any conversation outside of making the conference more competitive nationally is a waste of time
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Having to travel from Oxford to play in Cleveland a day later does not sound appealing. Just bring back the semifinal byes for the top two seeds and be done with it.
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I donât think Miami can have that excuse. I know they practiced at Cleveland state the day before thanks to Rob summers
Iâm fine with that too. Needs to be some reward for winning regular season.
Iâm not sure if a change is needed (I liked the old 4 byes and campus games for the rest format) but I honestly donât care about any bellyaching from the school that gets to play the tournament 40 minutes from campus every year.
The location is probably where it needs to be and wouldnât change it from Cleveland but it certainly slants things to the NE Ohio schools.
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This is the perfect setup: All 12 teams in, top 4 get byes. First round on campus sites. Still leaves 3 games in three days in Cleveland. If the No. 1 seed needs more, then re-seed after the first round games. I also think the MAC should have a payout of some sort for a team winning the MAC Regular season title. Perhaps $50K to its NIL Fund.
I used to think the double bye was stupid, and I probably still would had Miami not run the table in the MAC during the regular season. However, having all 8 teams needing to win 3 games in 3 days does seem to diminish the regular season.
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Especially in a season like this past one where there wasnât much difference between the 4th and 8th place teams. Heck 8-seed UMass was 2-0 in road games vs the ACC.
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IMO, the goal for traditional one bid leagues like the MAC should be to try to have their best team represent them in the NCAAT so that they can possibly advance and make the case for future years that âwe have a good league and deserve 2 bidsâ, etc. So, if they have to have a conference tourney instead of auto bid the regular season champion (and we all know the money is going to keep the tourney going), then there HAS to be some reward for wiinning the regular season gauntlet. Doesnât matter if you are the #1 seed or not, playing 3 games in 3 days is grueling on players. At worst, the top team or top two teams should have byes into semi (iâd prefer they get slotted into the final). And I am 1000% against every team getting into the tourney. Top 8 is fine, top 4 or 6 teams would be ideal.
The best team âfor the seasonâ ⌠the best team âdown the stretchâ ⌠and/or the âbest team in the MAC Tournamentâ could very well be three different teams. Reward the champion with a small stipend plus a trophy at the end of the season. Give them the No. 1 seed and even reseed the tournament after the first round. Guarantee the No. 1 seed automatic entry to the NIT if needed, with the MAC paying to host a first round game.
In my mind that should be plenty for a top seed.
The MAC Tournament is a viable money maker. It should require a fair and even playing field. 3 games in 3 days for everybody. If you won the MAC playing 4 guys 32-plus minutes a game thatâs your call. Donât cry when the No. 4 seed, 9 players deep, takes you out in the finals.
You cry over playing 3-games in 3 days vs. equal competition. But beg for the right to play two NCAA games in three days in a different time zone against teams arguably way better than you with much less chance of winning.
Tell the MAC ADs - and coaches prodding this on - to take your pampers off and put your britches on.
Who cares about the MAC tournament? Just go 31-0. Itâs really not that difficultâŚ
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