Are there set minimums for OOC games or maximums for conference games? If not, then why not do something simple like playing home & home against all conference foes.

To me, today the main issue is a regular season that does not properly determine seeding. We have 12 teams, why not 22 conference games with only 8 or so OOC games. Its much easier to schedule and we get a better idea of seeding for our tournament.

Then have a simple tournament format including all 12 teams.

Top 4 get a first round bye and host the second round.
Next 4 host the first round.
Final four play in Cleveland.

Its easier to schedule, it rewards the regular season but not so much as to make it impossible for a lower seed to have hope (or for coaches to sell hope).

(05-28-2015 05:54 PM)Rocket4Life Wrote:  

(05-28-2015 05:43 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-28-2015 05:36 PM)axeme Wrote:  It renders the regular season far less meaningful.

The 'old' format, turned the 12 team format into a de facto 4-team tourney.

Two teams needed to win 2 games, two more 3 games and the rest 5 (!!) games.

Now it will be either 3 or 4 games...

And the top 4 teams DESERVED it by WINNING during the regular season. Now, the regular season barely means anything.

..and yet last year, the top 5 teams were either 12-6 or 11-7, but 2 of those 5 teams would have had to only win 2 games to win the tourney, while another would have had to win 5!!!!

The best day ever in the MAC tournament was always the day we had four games in the same day. We got to see what were the MAC's eight best teams duke it out in a really meaningful, exciting, colorful format. Great fun. Can't wait to see it again next March in Cleveland.

(05-31-2015 08:40 PM)LongtimeFan Wrote:  The best day ever in the MAC tournament was always the day we had four games in the same day. We got to see what were the MAC's eight best teams duke it out in a really meaningful, exciting, colorful format. Great fun. Can't wait to see it again next March in Cleveland.

Yeah. That's always my favorite day. Watch two games early, get some dinner and some drinks downtown, and come back for the evening games.

(05-31-2015 08:40 PM)LongtimeFan Wrote:  The best day ever in the MAC tournament was always the day we had four games in the same day. We got to see what were the MAC's eight best teams duke it out in a really meaningful, exciting, colorful format. Great fun. Can't wait to see it again next March in Cleveland.

Totally!!!!

(05-28-2015 05:54 PM)Rocket4Life Wrote:  

(05-28-2015 05:43 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-28-2015 05:36 PM)axeme Wrote:  It renders the regular season far less meaningful.

The 'old' format, turned the 12 team format into a de facto 4-team tourney.

Two teams needed to win 2 games, two more 3 games and the rest 5 (!!) games.

Now it will be either 3 or 4 games...

And the top 4 teams DESERVED it by WINNING during the regular season. Now, the regular season barely means anything.

With an unbalanced schedule the top 4 teams weren't always the top 4 teams. It was absurd that a team could end up with the same record as another yet because of tiebreakers end up having to win 2 (or possibly 3) more games.

The biggest problem I had with the old format was that the vast majority of games in the tournament were played by the lower echelon teams. The top two seeds were involved in a total of 3 games which means that the fanbases that were the most engaged entering the tournament weren't there. Instead you get the #6 or #9 seeds play lots of games with fanbases that weren't as likely to send people to the games. The format of the last couple of years just wasn't very fun.

If you are worried about rewarding the regular season champion then do away with the tournament entirely. Personally I'd opt for fewer byes and more games involving good teams.

(06-03-2015 10:06 AM)OUVan Wrote:  

(05-28-2015 05:54 PM)Rocket4Life Wrote:  

(05-28-2015 05:43 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-28-2015 05:36 PM)axeme Wrote:  It renders the regular season far less meaningful.

The 'old' format, turned the 12 team format into a de facto 4-team tourney.

Two teams needed to win 2 games, two more 3 games and the rest 5 (!!) games.

Now it will be either 3 or 4 games...

And the top 4 teams DESERVED it by WINNING during the regular season. Now, the regular season barely means anything.

With an unbalanced schedule the top 4 teams weren't always the top 4 teams. It was absurd that a team could end up with the same record as another yet because of tiebreakers end up having to win 2 (or possibly 3) more games.

The biggest problem I had with the old format was that the vast majority of games in the tournament were played by the lower echelon teams. The top two seeds were involved in a total of 3 games which means that the fanbases that were the most engaged entering the tournament weren't there. Instead you get the #6 or #9 seeds play lots of games with fanbases that weren't as likely to send people to the games. The format of the last couple of years just wasn't very fun.

If you are worried about rewarding the regular season champion then do away with the tournament entirely. Personally I'd opt for fewer byes and more games involving good teams.

I agree totally with this point. If you attended the entire tournament, it seemed like the week was almost over before the top 2 teams played. I strongly disliked that format.