Solution to the MWC Tournament dilemma:

[LoboColo]

This came to me last night: A solution to the whole MWC Basketball Tournament dilemma:

Instead of having the conference tournament at the end of the year, have it right after the end of the non-conference season and the beginning of the conference season.

The sole objective of the tournament would be to determine the tie-breaker should teams tie for first, second, third ... through eighth in the conference.

However, you finish in the tournament will give you your spot in the tiebreaker.

You could seed the teams based on their RPI at the end of the nonconference schedule, therby rewarding difficult scheduling and wins.

Under this system, you could still have a weekend in Vegas, all the fans who want to hit the craps tables and the dens of iniquity can do so.

The Weebles can still have their homecourt advantage for something, but it just wouldn't mean as much.

And this would also place more importance on the regular season.

This is a solution I can live with.

This started as a post on the thread about the Tournament going back to Vegas through 2013.

LoboforLife also notes it puts the tournament weekend in Vegas near New Year's Eve another, benefit to the idea.




I really think this is workable.

[LaVidaLobo]

Interesting idea, not sure it would fly though. Part of the problem with that it is a more accurate barometer for how good a team is at the end of the season, not halfway through it. The MWC Tourney is the build up or climax to the season where everyone feels like they still have a chance even if their regular season was a bust. Without that endgame, I'm not sure teams would even put up much of a fight down the stretch run if they were out of it.

Kudos for thinking outside of the box!

[LoboColo]

Interesting idea, not sure it would fly though. Part of the problem with that it is a more accurate barometer for how good a team is at the end of the season, not halfway through it. The MWC Tourney is the build up or climax to the season where everyone feels like they still have a chance even if their regular season was a bust. Without that endgame, I'm not sure teams would even put up much of a fight down the stretch run if they were out of it.

Kudos for thinking outside of the box!

I think the regular season is a better barometer of how good a team is rather than a few games on a non-neutral court.

This would put more emphasis on the regular season, which I like.

And the regular season would end the same weekend as most other conferences tournaments. That would keep interest in the regular season at a high level. Even higher than it is now. The last weekend of the regular season would be big. And fair to everyone.

And, I may have not made this clear earlier: The winner of the conference regular season would get the automatic NCAA bid.

[LoboColo]

Another benefit to having the MWC Tournament before the regular season is you could easily get a one-stop shopping site for scouting for the rest of the regular season.

It would be a coaching paradise, and you could swap ideas about everybody's teams and how you'd deal with them among each other.

[MRLobo]

Problem is who would travel for a mid season tourny that doesn't mean anything? I believe fans like the excitment of thier team possibly playing their way into the NCAAs. It's part of march madness. Also you get into competition with fans traveling to bowl games to see their football teams. A midseason conference tourny would be poorly attended and doesn't bring a lot of excitment.

A mid season tourny may very well lose money. No real point in having a tourney without any real incentive.

[SpanaBaller]

Problem is who would travel for a mid season tourny that doesn't mean anything? I believe fans like the excitment of thier team possibly playing their way into the NCAAs. It's part of march madness. Also you get into competition with fans traveling to bowl games to see their football teams. A midseason conference tourny would be poorly attended and doesn't bring a lot of excitment.

A mid season tourny may very well lose money. No real point in having a tourney without any real incentive.

BINGO. Also what incentive would a team like TCU or Air Force or CSU have in going. They ain't ever gonna win the MWC regular season so a tiebreaker is worthless for them. What good is a tiebreaker championship for them if they can finish #1 during conference season.

Also having the tournament mid-season would be a fan killer. Most fans are traveling to various bowl games during that time period. It will never work.

And as what was said earlier.....every single conference gives the automatic bid to the tournament champ. Hence the word March Madness. When anyone can sneak into the tournament if they can win 3 games in 3 nights. It is one thing if there is a trend and other conferences reward regular-season champs with auto bids. But NOBODY does it anymore.

Also it is not like the regular-season champ gets screwed. They get the #1 seed and always get an at-large bid if they stumble. But they shouldn't stumble. If they are as good as advertised.....they be as good as advertised....right?

[wallyhopp]

One solution I feel would be to change the atmosphere at the T&M... Turn down the lighting, like it is at staples center now. the key is not to let UNLV practice like that EVER, until tourney comes around.. Also, use brand new rims and backboard setups installed that tuesday morning .. and three, new generic play by play guy along with all new stat and score/time keepers from around the MWC.. Let UNLV have zero familiarity with those tiny things.. and finally, change up the court paint wise, add a colored key and change the border..

with the apparent cash cow the tourney is, these small changes could easily be implemented

spana, i think its teh IVY league that give the regular season champ the automatic bid.

[LoboColo]

Spanna March Madness would remain. It would be the final week of the regular season schedule.

[LoboColo]

People will go to Vegas for just about any reason. A tiebreaker will do the job just as well as a free buffet.

Also it will be the week of New Year's that will help, too. With the bowl games all the more reason to go for the bookies for the National Championship game.

We can call it the MWC Weeble Wiebreaker Wournament!

[LIDOakaLJT]

every single conference gives the automatic bid to the tournament champ. Hence the word March Madness.

Actually, I think the lone exception to this statement is the IVY League.

[LoboColo]

The MWC and the Ivies will share their views on awarding of post-season bid.

Another great reason to go to the tiebreaker tournament. We can be viewed as thoughtful as the Ivies.

[SpanaBaller]

The MWC and the Ivies will share their views on awarding of post-season bid.

Another great reason to go to the tiebreaker tournament. We can be viewed as thoughtful as the Ivies.

Just like the Ivy league....we could be a one-bid league if we go that route.

Also while the other conferences are on ESPN/CBS during championship week....the MWC will be out of the picture and irrelevant during the start of March Madness.

[sdsuphilip]

This came to me last night: A solution to the whole MWC Basketball Tournament dilemma:

Instead of having the conference tournament at the end of the year, have it right after the end of the non-conference season and the beginning of the conference season.

The sole objective of the tournament would be to determine the tie-breaker should teams tie for first, second, third ... through eighth in the conference.

However, you finish in the tournament will give you your spot in the tiebreaker.

You could seed the teams based on their RPI at the end of the nonconference schedule, therby rewarding difficult scheduling and wins.

Under this system, you could still have a weekend in Vegas, all the fans who want to hit the craps tables and the dens of iniquity can do so.

The Weebles can still have their homecourt advantage for something, but it just wouldn't mean as much.

And this would also place more importance on the regular season.

This is a solution I can live with.

This started as a post on the thread about the Tournament going back to Vegas through 2013.

LoboforLife also notes it puts the tournament weekend in Vegas near New Year's Eve another, benefit to the idea.




I really think this is workable.

it isn't

[PitCrowd]

the mwc tournament isn't broken and doesn't need a complete overhaul. tweaking the location is all that needs to be done and what good does it do to put the new format in Vegas when that is the whole problem to begin with

[COLOLOBO]

wonderful idea! This entire conference tourney is strictly for the $$$$$. That was made even more evident when it was awarded to LV once again! As far as NM is concerned our football fans don't travel very well anyway and when speaking of awarding spots in the big dance we only get two bids today so it is unlikely that moving the MWC tourney to the beginning of the conference schedule would make a bit of difference.

This is out of the box thinking and the TV networks might like it and might provide more coverage if negotiated correctly.

Also I retire soon and attending a Lobo bowl game and then flying to LV for the trourney plus all the other activities in LV sound like an outstanding two weeks to me!!!!

[loborick]

Are you kidding? Having the tourney at New Year's? It is already expensive in LV. It is double that at NY. No way. Ridiculous idea.