NCAA Softball Committee Commits an Error
Let’s be honest, the NCAA takes a lot of heat from the fans of all sports. So controversy surrounding a selection process is nothing new when it comes to the gatekeepers of college sports.
Generally, the debate is around a bubble team or a small slight or better yet what a team’s fans feel is a small slight. There were two glaring issues when the 64 team field was revealed for the 2017 NCAA Softball tournament. The first and most obvious was the Minnesota Gophers (54-3). The second, in our opinion, was Lousiana-Lafayette.
Also, congratulations to all 64 teams in the tournaments, we look forward to a great post season.
When writing this the 24-hour rule was used because the initial reaction was one of astonishment. So the reason Minnesota was snubbed was because of the number of RPI wins. Yet one week prior, the same committee had Minnesota ranked seventh. Somehow Minnesota wins the Big Ten conference tournament, leads the nation in wins and has the longest winning streak (25) and still drops 10 full spots?
Even Graham Hayes of ESPNW is confused, “In covering something like 40 brackets between sports, not sure I’ve ever seen worse committee blunder than unseeded Minnesota. Inexcusable”. That was posted on his twitter account last night. One thing is very clear, the ends justify the means. With no documented criteria, committees can change the criteria to fit whatever story they want. Not only do they snub Minnesota, they make them go through Florida to make the WCWS. In the last coaches poll, those two were one and two. For an organization who is all about holding athletes and institutions accountable, maybe it is a time that they look in the mirror and hold themselves accountable.
In covering something like 40 brackets between sports, not sure I’ve ever seen worse committee blunder than unseeded Minnesota. Inexcusable.
— Graham Hays (@grahamhays) May 15, 2017
The question was more if Minnesota would get a top 8 seed. One thing is clear, the committee, this year, decided that losses really did not mean anything. In the end, teams have to win to advance and it is just a game.
Lousiana-Lafayette, in our opinion, is another that got snubbed. The Ragin Cajuns have even more “Top 25” wins then the Gophers. They also pass the eye test.
All in all, the system has some issues and that was made pretty clear this year. Eight of the top 16 come out of the SEC, meaning the committee believes Minnesota would have been ninth in that conference at least. I think you would be hard pressed to find many people who think that would be the case. We play the games for a reason, now it is up to the players from all 64 teams to determine the outcomes.
The cards have been dealt, the players are on their way to the table and the games will be underway soon. This year should be exciting, and if things continue the way they have been, full of surprises. Stay tuned as FPN will do a deep dive and offer up our predictions for every region.
