2008 Lax World MCLA Division 1 Top 25 Poll (4/23/08) is out

[Zamboni_Driver]

Rule: Hopeful effect
4 OOC Games :: Greater comparisons (already in effect for many teams, but will separate out the fringe teams, forces team to perform on the road)

Must have OOC in 2 conferences :: allows greater indirect comparisons (again in effect for many, but not all)

OOC Game after April 1st :: gives insight to their progress or lack there of over a season, gives northern conferences the opportunity for home field advantages

Must make league tournament :: shows performance in a do or die scenario


Now who will patrol this...no worries...if there is a there is a team on the bubble the others on the bubble will point it out...so oversight shouldn't increase dramatically.

all need alot more thought, but I still would love to hear other ideas..

Anyone want to comment?? I'd love to hear from the more veteran people on this forum -- anyone who played or coached or followed the league longer than me?? Hate 'em or love 'em you aren't going to hurt my feelings...

Maybe this suggestion will bring out some comments...

MCLA states that the two teams in each league championship play their first MCLA D1 game against each other. (ala Florida and UGA - I think this helped Florida, and set standards for the SELC that we wouldn't have gotten otherwise. Notice, rule would be first D1 game, so teams could play NCAA and D2 to prepare). This rule would force early competition of top programs.

[OAKS]

Rule: Hopeful effect
4 OOC Games :: Greater comparisons (already in effect for many teams, but will separate out the fringe teams, forces team to perform on the road)

Must have OOC in 2 conferences :: allows greater indirect comparisons (again in effect for many, but not all)

OOC Game after April 1st :: gives insight to their progress or lack there of over a season, gives northern conferences the opportunity for home field advantages

Must make league tournament :: shows performance in a do or die scenario


Now who will patrol this...no worries...if there is a there is a team on the bubble the others on the bubble will point it out...so oversight shouldn't increase dramatically.

all need alot more thought, but I still would love to hear other ideas..

MCLA states that the two teams in each league championship play their first MCLA D1 game against each other. (ala Florida and UGA - I think this helped Florida, and set standards for the SELC that we wouldn't have gotten otherwise. Notice, rule would be first D1 game, so teams could play NCAA and D2 to prepare). This rule would force early competition of top programs.

Baby steps. I think the current 3 OOC is fine, but now require ALL teams to have at least 1 OOC game in their division (maybe 2 if you want to get ambitious), or suffer a fine.

Two league champions is a scheduling nightmare waiting to happen. Let's say Chico State & Arizona win theirs, or Virginia Tech & Miami, or other schools meet up who are 16+ hours away. Unless they can somehow get a multi-game weekend in place half-way, you're forcing teams that may not meet normally to play and potentially creating expensive travel that may be better served by taking an OOC trip.

The conference tournament requirement is fine in theory (if conferences were fairly static and had similar division splits & tournament seeding), but what about conferences that have one division that's particularly heavy, like the SELC south or the WCLL L.A. (central, whatever) division, and conferences that haven't yet perfected their seeding system? It's an extreme example, but if a team has quality top 25 and a few top 10 OOC wins, and only 2 losses to division rivals, I feel they deserve to go to nationals. Because of the rapid growth of the league, the conferences are going to need to be re-aligned and the championships will need to be revised every so often, which may leave teams out in the cold every couple of years.

Although I've been mostly critical (and the only solution I offered was the required OOC game or two for all teams), I like the dialog you've opened and hopefully some new ideas can be taken to various board meetings in the offseason.

[Karl Lynch]

Conferences should decide what is best for the conferences. If the WCLL wants to change its playoff structure, go for it.

Don't let the eight other conferences tell the WCLL what to do, nobobdy will like the result.

3 OCC games is plenty of cross pollination. Remember OCC games are only for teams seeking at-large bids, not for the pollsters.

Don't ask for more mandates from the BOD. They just might give it to you. If you want your program noticed, play more OCC games.

More rules is not the answer. Each program is different.