Conference Tournaments - Kinda Sad

[thebigabd]

Kinda sad that nobody gives a crap about the conference tournaments. High level teams don't seem to care, media doesn't seem to care. All anyone talks about through conference tournaments is the NCAA Tournament, and I don't think anyone really credits conference tournament champions as the champion of the conference.

Which I have always argued is interesting because we decide champions in basketball via a tournament process.

• The NBA champion is the winner of the playoffs, not the regular season
• The NFL champion is the winner of the playoffs, not the regular season
• The NHL champion is the winner of the playoffs, not the regular season
• The NCAA National Championship is the winner of a tournament, not the regular season
• The NIT Championship is the winner of a tournament, has nothing to do with regular season

The Big 12 Championship is decided by the regular season. Kansas cuts down the nets, puts on t-shirts, etc... It's literally the only thing decided this way. Makes no sense.

The leagues need to solve this problem by not officially rewarding ANYTHING for the regular season. The official record books, banners that get hung from the rafters, etc should only be recognized for winning the tournament. Boom, problem solved.

 

[Swans]

The NCAA already does this. The invite to the tournament as the official conference champion in all conferences is their tournament champion. KU will go to the NCAAs as an at large invite. Iowa St. receives the automatic bid as the champion of the Big 12. The ACC has always recognized their conference tournament champion as the true league champion. Before expansion to 32 then 64 and now 68 teams, only conference tournament champions went to the NCAA tournament......hence UCLA's dominance in the 60s.

 

[Stikboy]

I agree with everything but I understand the thinking. It is much harder to accomplish the regular season title. Anyone, like take for instance Michigan this year. They were average, their plane skidded off the runway, they banded together and won 4 straight. Winning 4 straight isn't easy, but if other also rans upset the big dogs and kind of grease the skids for you, so to speak, it can be kind of easy some years.. If OU went 16-2 during conference including winning many tough road games, you bet your * i'd be putting more stock in that than Jimmer Fredette beating me on a last second buzzer shot in a conference tourney. That being said, I love the conference tournaments. Great for fans, gives bubble teams some reprieve and hey, it's more college basketball! I'd love for it to be in Houston one year, I know, doesn't make sense and is a pipe dream. But if it were, i'd be there every day...

 

[sperry]

I do agree with that. If the tournament doesn't determine who the champion is, don't even have it.

 

[skyvue]

• The NBA champion is the winner of the playoffs, not the regular season
• The NFL champion is the winner of the playoffs, not the regular season
• The NHL champion is the winner of the playoffs, not the regular season

I think you've created a false equivalency. I would argue that a conference championship is the equivalent of a divisional championship in pro sports, and pro divisions don't hold tourneys.

• The NFC East, North, South and West division titles are won during the regular season.
  
• The NL East, Central and West titles are won during the regular season.
  
• The NHL's Metropolitan, Atlantic, Central and Pacific titles are won during the regular season.

As a Sooner hoops fan, I would take a regular-season conference title over a conference tourney championship every single time. The former is won over two-plus months of competition; the latter can be won by a lesser team having a hot streak of just three or four days.

 

[sperry]

I think you've created a false equivalency. I would argue that a conference championship is the equivalent of a divisional championship in pro sports, and pro divisions don't hold tourneys.

• The NFC East, North, South and West division titles are won during the regular season.
  
• The NL East, Central and West titles are won during the regular season.
  
• The NHL's Metropolitan, Atlantic, Central and Pacific titles are won during the regular season.

As a Sooner hoops fan, I would take a regular-season conference title over a conference tourney championship every single time. The former is won over two-plus months of competition; the latter can be won by a lesser team having a hot streak of just three or four days.

Why have the conference tourney then?

 

[WaymanFan]

I think you've created a false equivalency. I would argue that a conference championship is the equivalent of a divisional championship in pro sports, and pro divisions don't hold tourneys.

• The NFC East, North, South and West division titles are won during the regular season.
  
• The NL East, Central and West titles are won during the regular season.
  
• The NHL's Metropolitan, Atlantic, Central and Pacific titles are won during the regular season.

As a Sooner hoops fan, I would take a regular-season conference title over a conference tourney championship every single time. The former is won over two-plus months of competition; the latter can be won by a lesser team having a hot streak of just three or four days.

Although bigabd makes some good points, this is my position as well. That said, I agree with those who want a more CLEAR definition of what the Power conference tournaments mean to the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.

 

[skyvue]

Why have the conference tourney then?

The same reason it's always been held: Money. And the chance for a team that's on the bubble to solidify its chances to make the NCAA tourney (and the long-shot chance for a team that's not even on the bubble to sneak into the tourney).

I think the conference tourneys are mostly pointless. I'm always up for watching my Sooners play, but the tourney itself has no real purpose.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Why have the conference tourney then?

I guess we could also ask ... Why have the conference regular season?

The regular season champion gets a championship trophy.
The tournament champion gets a championship trophy.
Both get into the Big Dance.

What's the problem?

 

[SoonerBounce13]

count me into the group that thinks the conference tourneys are pointless if you play every team in your conference. Esp if you play every team home and away.

I'll always give more respect to the reg season champion and don't view the tourney winner as a conference champion but rather a tournament champion

 

[ByronHoustonsSweatyPalms]

The old preseason Big 8 tourney was fun.


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[SoonerTraveler]

The old preseason Big 8 tourney was fun.

Yes it was. That was a long time ago. I went to those with my father. Every Big-8 team played 3 games in KC at Kemper, win or lose. Twelve games in 3 days. It was a blast.

For basketball fans, it is all fun. That is enough reason to have the tournaments, even if the primary reason is money.

 

[scrybe]

I realize this is a little off-topic, but is anyone (besides me) old enough to remember when MLB had two All-Star games each season?

 

[kansasooner]

The leagues need to solve this problem by not officially rewarding ANYTHING for the regular season. The official record books, banners that get hung from the rafters, etc should only be recognized for winning the tournament. Boom, problem solved.

Agreed.

 

[OUhoopsfan]

I realize this is a little off-topic, but is anyone (besides me) old enough to remember when MLB had two All-Star games each season?

Yep, I'm old too.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Agreed.

why should a team not get rewarded for being the best team throughout the season when you play everybody on equal footing? And instead a team that might get hot late? I can't comprehend this thinking