Unlike the Pac12 (fewer than 12 in soccer), the ACC has a postseason soccer tournament. The more I think about it, the sillier that seems...and perhaps after this initial ACC season with expanded membership, the leaders will put their heads together and do away with the tournament. There is likely no incremental TV $ for the ACC tourney, and fans likely won't be flying around to follow their teams. The NCAA tournament is what matters. But here's where I find the ACC tourney bizarre:
For Men. It's my understanding the tournament includes all 15 teams. During the regular season, each team plays 8 conference games. What? So each team only plays 8 of 14 opponents in an abbreviated regular season, and then everyone enters the playoff? IMO, far better to play two more weeks of regular season, match up against 12 of the 14 other schools, and then enter the NCAA tourney. The ACC tournament games are scheduled for Nov 6, Nov 10, Nov 14, and Nov 17. How will that travel work? And not just for us...doubting ACC teams would be fired up about flying out here if we host.
For Women. The ACC tournament takes only the top 6 (of 17). During the regular season, teams play 10 of the 16 other schools. As it stands this season, the ACC will likely qualify more than 6 teams for the NCAA tournament (64 make the tournament)...so performance in the ACC tournament is virtually irrelevant. Dropping the tournament could get the regular season up to 14 games against the 16 schools...nearly a round-robin. But this ACC tourney women's scenario has added pitfalls/nuances. For a team that finishes 7th or lower and still qualifies for the NCAA tourney, that team is looking at 3 weeks off between their final regular season match and the 1st round of the NCAA. Stanford is currently 6th. But we've played more games than a few of the teams behind us, so there's a reasonable chance we finish out of the top 6. We'll surely qualify for NCAA, so, I guess we just sit around for 3 weeks. Now it's possible sitting around might be preferable to flying consecutive weekends to the East Coast if we won a 6 vs 3 matchup and then had to fly back for the ACC final 4 in Cary, NC the following weekend. Maybe ask Ratcliffe his thoughts in a private moment. Instead, why not just play 2 more home games (one weekend) and 2 more road games (one weekend), and then start the NCAAs?
Maybe I'm missing something, but this arrangement feels suboptimal.
PS - The latest rendition of Van Morrison at Frost Tuesday night!
For Men. It's my understanding the tournament includes all 15 teams. During the regular season, each team plays 8 conference games. What? So each team only plays 8 of 14 opponents in an abbreviated regular season, and then everyone enters the playoff? IMO, far better to play two more weeks of regular season, match up against 12 of the 14 other schools, and then enter the NCAA tourney. The ACC tournament games are scheduled for Nov 6, Nov 10, Nov 14, and Nov 17. How will that travel work? And not just for us...doubting ACC teams would be fired up about flying out here if we host.
For Women. The ACC tournament takes only the top 6 (of 17). During the regular season, teams play 10 of the 16 other schools. As it stands this season, the ACC will likely qualify more than 6 teams for the NCAA tournament (64 make the tournament)...so performance in the ACC tournament is virtually irrelevant. Dropping the tournament could get the regular season up to 14 games against the 16 schools...nearly a round-robin. But this ACC tourney women's scenario has added pitfalls/nuances. For a team that finishes 7th or lower and still qualifies for the NCAA tourney, that team is looking at 3 weeks off between their final regular season match and the 1st round of the NCAA. Stanford is currently 6th. But we've played more games than a few of the teams behind us, so there's a reasonable chance we finish out of the top 6. We'll surely qualify for NCAA, so, I guess we just sit around for 3 weeks. Now it's possible sitting around might be preferable to flying consecutive weekends to the East Coast if we won a 6 vs 3 matchup and then had to fly back for the ACC final 4 in Cary, NC the following weekend. Maybe ask Ratcliffe his thoughts in a private moment. Instead, why not just play 2 more home games (one weekend) and 2 more road games (one weekend), and then start the NCAAs?
Maybe I'm missing something, but this arrangement feels suboptimal.
PS - The latest rendition of Van Morrison at Frost Tuesday night!
