New Method For Selecting Tournament Teams Controversial For Some

from the Allied Press:

When it was revealed late last year that the NCAA was going to be using a new method in determining which teams received bids to its Division 4 postseason tournament, some coaches had a lot to say. "I think that the change is completely ridiculous", said Coach Urban of Detroit Clemency. Last December, the organization announced that it would no longer be selecting individual at-large bids for the postseason basketball tournament, but would rather issue various numbers of bids to individual conferences for them to allocate. Conference champions will still receive an automatic bid.

Nevertheless, it's a change that could see teams like Detroit Clemency suffer. For several seasons, the Ashes have been one of the top teams in the country, but under the new selection system, they would have to win their conference tournament in order to receive a bid. However, after a heartbreaking loss in the conference finals to Sandusky State, the Ashes find themselves on the wrong side of the tournament picture. "It's really frustrating when you go 30-1 on a season and don't have a shot at the national championship because of a new policy like this." The reason for Detroit Clemency's disappointment is simple, their conference, the Metropolitan Conference, is one of fifteen leagues that only received one bid this year.

Still, others applaud the new process, including Division 4 Director Bud Seleguin. "It saved us a lot of time, and is giving the strongest teams the best opportunity to compete. All teams still have the same chance to win it all." When questioned about whether the new system would be used in other sports and/or in years to come, Mr. Seleguin stated that "it is a definite possibility."