Playing close to home

[bgrch1350]

I really hate the fact that the NCAA has went in this direction. I'm watching Iowa State play a road game in the 2nd round. Why should Ohio State, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, etc... get an even bigger advantage in the tournament.

 

[sdcloud9]

I was thinking about this yesterday.

I think it's criminal that these teams are playing so close to home, add Louisville to that list playing in Lexington.

It's all about the money and selling tickets not fairness.

Sometimes it's going to happen that teams play close to home but now it's the norm, course it didn't help K-State, lol.

 

[soonervegas]

It seems to me like it has lessened 1st round upsets as well.....

 

[Swans]

It's been this way for several years now. The top four seeds are rewarded with placement in a region close to home. A reason to play for seeding in the tourney.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Playing close to home helps to fill the arenas in the early rounds. It also lowers travel costs for fans of the teams that have the best seasons. I see nothing wrong with this.

If OU has a great season in the same year that OKC hosts NCAA games, then playing close to home will be a good thing for me.

It certainly does not eliminate upsets. Kansas State lost in KC to a lower seeded team.

Georgetown is not far from Philadelphia, yet that did not stop Florida Gulf Coast from pulling the big upset there.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Georgetown is not far from Philadelphia, yet that did not stop Florida Gulf Coast from pulling the big upset there.

And once the game started, Georgetown didn't have the home court advantage because except for the GT fans, everyone was pulling for FGCU.

 

[oSuJeff97]

I don't mind if you're a top 4 seed. That's part of the reward of getting the protected seed.

Where it bothers me is when the Selection committee rewards lower seeds with close to home locations. The committee straight up said that they put Oregon and Cal in San Jose for "travel reasons."

So basically they gave double-digit seeds a geographic advantage over their opponents. I was reading a game recap story this morning from the Oregon-St. Louis game, and it was talking about how the crowd in San Jose was overwhelmingly a Pac 12 crowd that was pulling for both Cal and Oregon. How in the world is that fair to the higher seeds in the region?

And I'm not just saying this because OSU was on the wrong end of it this year... this kind of thing happens every year and it's complete b.s.

If you're an 8-seed or lower, then location shouldn't even be brought up when discussing where you play. That should be the breaks of being a low seed.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Nothing will ever be perfect. You have eight teams playing at each of the eight locations. The locations are selected years in advance. Under these circumstances, somebody always thinks they get screwed.

 

[JBaker]

The real crime is a team like Cal playing 30 miles from home as a 12 seed.

 

[bocabull]

They changed to the pod system due to sagging attendance. It's been a smashing success.

 

[MsProudSooner]

The real crime is a team like Cal playing 30 miles from home as a 12 seed.

The trade off is supposed to be that they have to play a really tough 5 seed

 

[oSuJeff97]

The trade off is supposed to be that they have to play a really tough 5 seed

Once you get past the first few seeds, there's not that much difference between the teams.

That's why the location thing is so unfair when the higher seeds get the geographic advantage.

There's a reason that home teams win most of the time. It's not just about having the crowd. It's about not having to deal with traveling all day, playing multiple time zones away from home, etc.

 

[campbest]

It's about money.

Suck it up and go play basketball. If LaSalle can somehow only score three baskets the final 10 minutes against KSU in Kansas City, then a lower seed can beat a double digit if they had a shorter commute to the host city.

 

[opsooner]

I like the system. The regular season is important, both conference and non-conference and successful teams should be rewarded with more than just a seed. I don't like it when lower seeds get rewarded with a game close to home but it is difficult to avoid a few instances of that. It is difficult to justify having a few trade ends of the country. If you are good enough you should still beat them.

 

[WTSooner]

It seems to me like it has lessened 1st round upsets as well.....

Huh?

There are probably more upsets now then ever before. Ones getting pushed. Twos have lost 3 of their last 8 first round games. Threes and Fours lose routinely in the first round.