ndlionsfan wrote:Two problems I have with the 4 region idea...
1. Travel. The region tourney would be more like the state tourney. If you combined regions 7 and 8, where would it be held? Williston? Bismarck? Dickinson? Awful long travel times for a lot of teams.
Teams stay in hotels if the travel is far. This is, in my mind, the way it should be for the second level tournament. The district tournament is the "local" tournament. The next level should be more exclusive by nature, and therefore, come with great rewards and privileges like overnight stay. It's about time that qualifying for regional tournament means something again. We don't need two local tournaments and one premier state tournament. We need one local tournament, one more exlusive mid-level tournament, and one premier state tournament.
ndlionsfan wrote:2. Qualifying the top 2 teams for state. The region champsionship just lost all its luster. Instead of win or go home, its oh well we're in anyway. Yeah, the teams are playing for seeding playing against the champion or runnerup from another region but the do or die excitement is gone. I believe a team shouldn't get rewarded for a loss in the postseason...period.
It's pure fiction that the regional championship would lose its luster. First, there are only 4 regions- to win one would be an EXTREME source of pride. Second, the loser of the championship game is not guaranteed a trip to the next level. It's a very common thing in sports called the challenge game- if the loser of the championship game and the winner of the 3rd place game have not met in the tournament, they meet in a 2nd and 3rd place game to "challenge" for the right to go to the next level. Third, winning the regional championship game carries with it the important #1 seeding, matching you up with the #2 from whatever region you match-up with... extreme significant.
I can understand the notion of not wanting to reward teams for a loss in the postseason... even agree with it. However, if I'm given the choice between a system where a team with a loss can move on and a system that actually gets the best teams to the state tournament... I'll choose having the best teams at state. I would prefer to see the best 4 teams in the state in the semi-final round- but we are already guaranteed that one of the best 3 teams in the state this year will be left home from the state tournament all-together. So, when making a choice between the lesser of two evils, I want the best teams where they belong
.... period.ndlionsfan wrote:In my opinion, as long as we have an 8 team state tournament, 8 regions is the way to go. Does the dist/reg format need to be tweaked? Definitely. the other interesting trial is what Region 3 is hoping to do. Three teams from each district qualify for a 6 team regional. Dist champs get byes (eliminates that ugly 1 vs 4 opening round matchup). 3rd place game in districts means something. Yes, teams still get rewarded for a post season loss, but its better than the current setup. Double elim is gone. Dist tourney is shorter, reg tourney is shorter. Is it better than the super regional? I don't know, I still lean towards that. But it will be nice to compare the pros and cons of them if they both get a trial from the NDHSAA.
Dist/Region realignment also needs to happen. With 108 teams divided among 8 regions, there should be 13-14 in a region. not 11 to 16. Yes, may be difficult based on geography and not every school is going to like it, but it would add just a little more parity that is needed.
8 teams from 8 regions doesn't work for 108 schools. The evidence is straight in front of your face this year. Several educated people's opinion is that Beulah and Trinity should play in the state championship game, and I haven't heard anyone even imagine that one of those two teams shouldn't be battling North Star in one Semi-final while the other cruises to an easy victory over whomever the other poor soul to make the semi's would be. More-over, this repeats it'self over and over again... the only thing that changes is which region is head and shoulders above the other in any particular year.
3 teams are so much better than the entire rest of the state this year that it's not even funny, and you're defending a system that guarantees one of those 3 teams won't make a field of 8. I can't agree with that.