2010 Division I Football Championship Handbook Released (Playoff Selection Criteria)

[danefan]

http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/champ_handbooks/football/2010/10_1_football.pdf


All pairings will be made by the Division I football championship committee. The
following principles are applied when pairing teams:

1. Teams deemed by the committee to be the 12 best teams selected to the championship shall receive a first-round bye. The remaining eight teams shall play first-round games and will be paired according to geographic proximity.
2. The teams awarded the top five seeds are placed in the appropriate positions in the bracket (Nos. 1 and 4 in the upper half, and Nos. 2 and 3 in the lower half, and No. 5
in the upper half of the bracket adjacent to the No. 4 seed bracket such that they would be quarterfinal round opponents should they advance);
3. The committee shall determine the seven remaining teams that merit a first-round
bye;
4. The No. 5 seed and the seven unseeded teams receiving a first-round bye shall be
paired with teams that are in closest geographic proximity;
5. The remaining eight teams will play first-round games and will be paired according to geographic proximity and placed in the bracket according to geographic proximity of the top four seeds previously placed in the bracket;
6. The NCAA mileage threshold for mandatory team travel via ground is 400 miles;
7. Teams from the same conference will not be paired for first-round games or for secondround
games when both teams are playing their first games of the championship;
8. Once the first-round pairings have been determined, there will be no adjustments to the bracket (e.g., a top-four seed may play a conference opponent that advanced out of the first round.



So they'll put the teams into three buckets - Top 5 Seeds, top 7 teams remaining, bottom 8.

And you better believe that any teams that fall within the bottom 8 and are within 400 miles of each other are playing regardless of matchup, attendance, or anything else.

Also of note was the the bridge AQ was clarified to indicate that it does not apply to the Great West. It only applies to teams from leagues that "Qualify for an AQ but aren't awarded one". So in practice only the Ivy, SWAC and PFL but in reality only the PFL.

And no PFL team has the ability to meet the Bridge this year with 2 wins over AQ teams. So the whole Bridge is moot.

[TexasTerror]

And no PFL team has the ability to meet the Bridge this year with 2 wins over AQ teams. So the whole Bridge is moot.

How many PFL teams chose to play two AQ teams this year?

Thanks for sharing!

[danefan]

How many PFL teams chose to play two AQ teams this year?

Thanks for sharing!

Dayton
Drake
Jacksonville
Marist
Morehead State
San Diego

Note - it became a lot easier to meet this rule this year for the PFL with the NEC games counting as AQ teams.

[WestCoastAggie]

bump

[Lehigh Football Nation]

7. Teams from the same conference will not be paired for first-round games or for second round
games when both teams are playing their first games of the championship;

This raised my eyebrows when I saw it, because it's new and could potentially make a difference in the brackets if the CAA piles up four or more representatives.

Say a 7-4 UMass team makes the field, and plays Lehigh in the first round. The winner won't go against (say) a seeded Richmond team in the second round, they'd be obligated to pair them against an Appalachian State or Jacksonville State.

[tandemlax]

This raised my eyebrows when I saw it, because it's new and could potentially make a difference in the brackets if the CAA piles up four or more representatives.

Say a 7-4 UMass team makes the field, and plays Lehigh in the first round. The winner won't go against (say) a seeded Richmond team in the second round, they'd be obligated to pair them against an Appalachian State or Jacksonville State.

The way I read it, in your scenario UMass could face a seeded CAA squad, as it would not be the first game of the tournament for UMass

[Model Citizen]

Bethune v. Jacksonville

[WrenFGun]

This raised my eyebrows when I saw it, because it's new and could potentially make a difference in the brackets if the CAA piles up four or more representatives.

Say a 7-4 UMass team makes the field, and plays Lehigh in the first round. The winner won't go against (say) a seeded Richmond team in the second round, they'd be obligated to pair them against an Appalachian State or Jacksonville State.

LFN,

I think you have that wrong. If UMass plays in the first round they are eligible to play any team in the second round. If UMass and Richmond both got byes they couldn't play each other in the second round.

[danefan]

This raised my eyebrows when I saw it, because it's new and could potentially make a difference in the brackets if the CAA piles up four or more representatives.

Say a 7-4 UMass team makes the field, and plays Lehigh in the first round. The winner won't go against (say) a seeded Richmond team in the second round, they'd be obligated to pair them against an Appalachian State or Jacksonville State.

Read it again. They won't set up rematches if both teams are playing their first game in the playoffs.

So in your scenario UMass could play Richmond because UMass wouldn't be playing its first game in the playoffs.

[molly]

This raised my eyebrows when I saw it, because it's new and could potentially make a difference in the brackets if the CAA piles up four or more representatives.

Say a 7-4 UMass team makes the field, and plays Lehigh in the first round. The winner won't go against (say) a seeded Richmond team in the second round, they'd be obligated to pair them against an Appalachian State or Jacksonville State.

I actually don't think that's what the rules state. The key part of that rule is "when both teams are playing their first games of the championship." Since UMASS would be playing its 2nd game, they could go against a seeded Richmond team.

The next rule makes this explicitly clear: "8. Once the first-round pairings have been determined, there will be no adjustments to the bracket (e.g., a top-four seed may play a conference opponent that advanced out of the first round."

[danefan]

Bethune v. Jacksonville

As long as the CAA doesn't become a cluster**** I think its a 50/50 shot you'll see that in the opening round.

[danefan]

The way I read it, in your scenario UMass could face a seeded CAA squad, as it would not be the first game of the tournament for UMass


LFN,

I think you have that wrong. If UMass plays in the first round they are eligible to play any team in the second round. If UMass and Richmond both got byes they couldn't play each other in the second round.


Read it again. They won't set up rematches if both teams are playing their first game in the playoffs.

So in your scenario UMass could play Richmond because UMass wouldn't be playing its first game in the playoffs.


I actually don't think that's what the rules state. The key part of that rule is "when both teams are playing their first games of the championship." Since UMASS would be playing its 2nd game, they could go against a seeded Richmond team.

The next rule makes this explicitly clear: "8. Once the first-round pairings have been determined, there will be no adjustments to the bracket (e.g., a top-four seed may play a conference opponent that advanced out of the first round."

Now that's what I call piling on. xlolx:D

[molly]

One of the other interesting things is that they bolded the word "may" in that part about having less than 7 D-I wins...

3. The won-lost record of a team will be scrutinized to determine a team’s strength of schedule; however, less than seven Division I wins may place a team in jeopardy of not being selected;

I don't recall them doing that in the past, but I'm not sure. Either way, they're making it clear that a team with 6 D-I wins can definitely be selected.

[danefan]

One of the other interesting things is that they bolded the word "may" in that part about having less than 7 D-I wins...

3. The won-lost record of a team will be scrutinized to determine a team’s strength of schedule; however, less than seven Division I wins may place a team in jeopardy of not being selected;

I don't recall them doing that in the past, but I'm not sure. Either way, they're making it clear that a team with 6 D-I wins can definitely be selected.

Great catch. This is the first time they have bolded that "may". Definitely opening the door.