Playoff Expansion

The NCHSAA voted yesterday to expand the baseball playoffs to 48 starting in 2006-2007. So, we will still be in our 32 team format this spring. Thoughts?

 

It appears that my information is right. I thought Coach May raised some good points about this topic. I'll copy and paste it here

 

By Coach May:


Our AD was informed recently that right now the push is for 48 teams this year. The whole thing about non conference records being part of selection to the playoffs stinks quite frankly. We have struggled for years getting teams from higher classifications to play us. We try to schedule up so we can get quality competition to prepare us. This year it has been ridiculous. Several of the teams we finally got on the schedule were the ones in our situation. No one wanted to play them so we are all playing each other. There is no doubt that you will have weak teams playing even weaker non con competition in order to qualify for the playoffs. Then you will have the quality team in the tough conference that will also schedule tough teams non conf and not make the playoffs. How is that fair? As far as 2 out of 3 in every round I just put that out there because I feel that this is only fair. Not that I think it will every get done. You play all year to get to the playoffs I would like to see it for the sake of the process of getting the best overall team and not the team with the best #1 starter. We have been helped by one and done before and we have gone down before as well. JMHO

 

48 Teams in 2006-07

OK, I see that the expansion happens next year, it's official, but I did not see what the criteria is for making the playoffs... is it "official" that it will be based on number of wins?..... and therefore we will have non-conference schedule manipulations in order to pad for wins?

 

Referencing Coach May's earlier post

Now that it appears final, I agree with you wholeheartedly.

Our Coach has in our non-conference schedule Butler, Providence and South Meck. All these teams have been mentioned as serious State Championship contenders. I personally love it, we'll be a better team for it.

But in the future I'd hate to be penalized by doing the right thing. Conversely, I personally feel that if you can't qualify for the playoffs by earning one of the top slots, why should you be allowed to play for the Championship, when you aren't even one of the top 2 or 3 teams in your conference.

We both know that the 2 out of 3 won't ever happen. The most economical way I can see to do it would come close to doubling the travel costs. You'd have to play a double header one day and a single game the next day if needed. And in some cases as you progress in the tournament it might actually be more economical and practical to stay overnight between games. The travel costs, or overnight costs would add an expense that isn't in anybodies budget.