(03-19-2017 04:50 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  We've already done a thread this year on the decline of mid-majors receiving at large bids but I posit this question? Could the Power basketball leagues who have more than 10 members go to 20 game conference schedules in an effort to squeeze more mid majors out of the tournament?

I am not an RPI expert but I know that the selection committee places a lot of weight on it and RPI is heavily dependent upon who you play. If the ACC, Big Ten, SEC, and Pac 12 went to 20 game schedules that eliminates 78 potential match ups between the establishment and schools from conferences who are on the outside. The games that would be dropped aren't going to be against the schools who are easy wins but rather the mid major programs that pose a threat at winning. Mid majors already struggle in RPI because their conference schedules drag them down but the 20 game schedule could make it even harder for them to put OOC games on the schedule that could boost their numbers. My expectation is that we would see more teams like this year's Wake Forest getting in over Illinois St types.

I disagree that the quality RPI OOC mid-majors will be the schools squeezed out by P6 conferences going to 20 conference games. The P6 schools need those quality RPI schools to keep there own RPI and other metrics top tier. I think it would be the 200+ RPI matchups that get reduced and all college basketball fans will benefit from seeing those crappy matchups go away in favor of more conference matchups.