Out of conference rules

[LaxRef]

I'm just curious, for the rules about out-of-conference games, do teams have to just play a certain number of OOC games or do they have to travel OOC? Because if it's the former, it would seem like the teams from cold locations would end up doing all of the traveling, since teams from, say, California probably wouldn't want to travel to the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field.

[Tim Gray]

I'm just curious, for the rules about out-of-conference games, do teams have to just play a certain number of OOC games or do they have to travel OOC? Because if it's the former, it would seem like the teams from cold locations would end up doing all of the traveling, since teams from, say, California probably wouldn't want to travel to the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field.

It's the former. Teams are only required to play 3 OOC to qualify for an at large bid. They don't have to be home or away. It does present a problem to teams here in New England, and I can guess MN as well as to attracting teams to come and play. Santa Clara and Cal came out here last year, but I'm not sure about any teams coming this year.

For us at least, you'd think we'd be an attractive travel destination, since we have so many schools in such a close proximity, it would really cut down on the travel cost. We had three teasm finish in the top 20 last year (Northeastern, Boston College, and New Hampshire). BC and NU are within 15 minutes of each other, and UNH is only about 1 hour north. There are 8 (6 div A and 2 div B) teams within 40 minutes of Boston.

[Timbalaned]

I can see there being a problem for cold weather teams, but you can also change that. When I first got to Oregon, there was no way anyone would come up here to play us. Now that we have established ourselves, people want to get the game in against us, so they are more willing to play us. This year we have Texas, MN-Duluth and Missouri all coming out to play us.

[CATLAX MAN]

For us at least, you'd think we'd be an attractive travel destination, since we have so many schools in such a close proximity, it would really cut down on the travel cost. We had three teasm finish in the top 20 last year (Northeastern, Boston College, and New Hampshire). BC and NU are within 15 minutes of each other, and UNH is only about 1 hour north. There are 8 (6 div A and 2 div B) teams within 40 minutes of Boston.

The problem is always the weather. For example, take Santa Clara's trip last year. They left pretty mild temps in CA to go to freezing & snow filled fields, not really being sure that they'd get the games in. They did get them in, but it was no sure thing when they left. The problem is that the OOC games usually have to come earlier in the season, before the league games start in earnest. Teams are less likely to travel after the Spring Break for exactly this reason. Planning an expensive trip to a cold weather site for a team coming from a warm weather site is a gamble.

Sites in FL, TX & CA, etc. are always going to be more attractive locations for OOC travel.

[Adam G]

Isn't there a different requirement between A & B division teams? In the UMLL, B-division teams such as Eau Claire are required to play 2 OOC games. Since our program is fairly new yet, we've struggled to meet the demand, be it as a result of poor planning, lack of funds, or otherwise. We were lucky this year in participating in a tournament hosted by Northern Michigan that included two OOC games.

[CATLAX MAN]

If I'm not mistaken, for Division B, the 2 OOC game requirement is only needed for those teams that are going to qualify for the national tourney as an at-large.

[Gregg Pathiakis]

If I'm not mistaken, for Division B, the 2 OOC game requirement is only needed for those teams that are going to qualify for the national tourney as an at-large.

That's the case for both divisional requirements. Teams only have to play OOC games (2 for B, 3 for A) in order to qualify for an at-large bid to nationals.

[Danny Hogan]

it is a lot easier for warm-weather teams to get in the 3 OOC games (a lot get them all @ home). But if you look at the cold weather conferences, they generally do not span the geographic distances that the warm weather ones do. Shorter in-conference trips makes it easier to plan for an out of conference trip.

Most of the nationaly contending warm weather schools do travel out of conference as well, can you blame them for going to another warm weather destination?

[LaxRef]

If I'm not mistaken, for Division B, the 2 OOC game requirement is only needed for those teams that are going to qualify for the national tourney as an at-large.

That's the case for both divisional requirements. Teams only have to play OOC games (2 for B, 3 for A) in order to qualify for an at-large bid to nationals.

This seems reasonable, but I guess in fairness I'd like to see something requiring teams to play an away OOC at least every 2 or 3 years in order to be eligible for an at-large bid. However, this still might not help the cold-weather teams, since the warm-weather teams might just visit each other.

[beckner11]

Another possibility would be to bump the required # of OOC games up to 4 and require that at least 2 are away. You could do all 4 away if you'd like, but at least force every team the same travel issues.......and then teams would have the ability to contact and host any teams they could lobby for and convince to come....since everyone would then have to travel. This would then make areas such as Boston more appealing since you could get many games in, in a shorter period and distance.

It would cost more money....but I think it would create a more diverse OOC schedule since I wouldn't think that teams would want to face the same opponents every year.

[SDSULAX]

Do you guys own a travel agency? Teams are struggling now, let's see how this works out before we pile on. You have two options if your goal is a National Championship, 1) Win your conference outright (guarantee) 2) Play the required number of OOC games, 3 for A Division teams, 2 for B Division teams to be eligible for a At-Large Bid ( no guarantee). I don't think the requirement was put in place to see if teams could figure out how to travel, it was to see how different conferences measured up against each other.

[Jolly Roger]

But is it a distinct advantage for warm weather conferences to host a vast majority of OCC games and not have to make such travel expenditures.

I'm not even bringing up the advantages surrounding preparation outdoors vs on a basketball court.

[LaxRef]

But is it a distinct advantage for warm weather conferences to host a vast majority of OCC games and not have to make such travel expenditures.

That was kind of my point. Ideally, every team should get to host at least one OOC game per year, and every team should travel to one, to be eligible for an at large bid, IMO. For the third game (A division), do what you want.

[Danny Hogan]

But is it a distinct advantage for warm weather conferences to host a vast majority of OCC games and not have to make such travel expenditures.

I'm not even bringing up the advantages surrounding preparation outdoors vs on a basketball court.

a lot of warm weather teams have to routinely make 8-15 hour in-conference drives. the cold weather conferences are considerably closer.

[Zeuslax]

I agree with laxref! The only way the bar is raised, and the playing field leveled is with nationally imposed rules. IE; the two OOC games. There are a lot of B teams that are reluctant to travel. Many teams due to this reluctance wind up with unbalanced schedules. One year a lot of travel, and the next a bunch of home games.