Fewer mid majors

[murphy]

Quoted from SI.com today

"Quite simply, conference realignment killed the traditional mid-major. The new look Big East -- which includes Creighton, Butler and Xavier -- and the brand new AAC absorbed many teams we used to consider mid-majors into what are now power conferences. The Atlantic 10, on the strength of Saint Louis and VCU, doesn't exactly pass the smell test as a mid-major either. Add those to the traditional power conferences, and there just isn't a ton of room for the mid-majors of 2013-14 to make the dance."

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/colleg ... z2w8EU8TEV

What do you think, agree disagree - My opinion, A10 has not been a mid major for years...

[XUFan09]

What do you think, agree disagree - My opinion, A10 has not been a mid major for years...

Agreed. They were pulled down by the crappy teams, much like the AAC is now, and they had a crappy year or two (i.e. 2006, when the only reason they got two bids was because Xavier won the conference tournament and promptly received a 14 seed).

[Bill Marsh]

Quoted from SI.com today

"Quite simply, conference realignment killed the traditional mid-major. The new look Big East -- which includes Creighton, Butler and Xavier -- and the brand new AAC absorbed many teams we used to consider mid-majors into what are now power conferences. The Atlantic 10, on the strength of Saint Louis and VCU, doesn't exactly pass the smell test as a mid-major either. Add those to the traditional power conferences, and there just isn't a ton of room for the mid-majors of 2013-14 to make the dance."

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/colleg ... z2w8EU8TEV

What do you think, agree disagree - My opinion, A10 has not been a mid major for years...

Strongly disagree. The A10 is a mid major plain and simple. There seems to be the assumption in this article that if mid majors achieve some success, they're no longer mid majors. How's that? That seems to be taking a pejorative attitude toward mid majors, suggesting that mid majors can't achieve some success in their own right.

There also seems to be some confusion in the article between mid majors and low majors. The A10 of course is not to be confused with the Summit Conference, but it isn't to be confused either with the ACC. While in any given year the a10 may get multiple teams into the tournament, it is still a conference with a ceiling. Getting a team to the elite 8 was a cause for celebration, but other than the '96 UMass team, which later vacated its FF, the a10 has not been a league that produced national champions nor sent teams to the Final Four to challenge for national championships.

The most successful mid major in the past 15 years has been Gonzaga, but their success has not made them into a power program. They broke through in 1999 with a run to the elite 8, but they have never been back their since despite their success in getting to the tournament every year. They play in a decidedly mid major conference where home attendance for everyone else in the conference falls between 1500-3500 except for them and the newly added BYU. They're simply a very successful mid major, not a power program.

[murphy]

Quoted from SI.com today

"Quite simply, conference realignment killed the traditional mid-major. The new look Big East -- which includes Creighton, Butler and Xavier -- and the brand new AAC absorbed many teams we used to consider mid-majors into what are now power conferences. The Atlantic 10, on the strength of Saint Louis and VCU, doesn't exactly pass the smell test as a mid-major either. Add those to the traditional power conferences, and there just isn't a ton of room for the mid-majors of 2013-14 to make the dance."

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/colleg ... z2w8EU8TEV

What do you think, agree disagree - My opinion, A10 has not been a mid major for years...

Strongly disagree. The A10 is a mid major plain and simple. There seems to be the assumption in this article that if mid majors achieve some success, they're no longer mid majors. How's that? That seems to be taking a pejorative attitude toward mid majors, suggesting that mid majors can't achieve some success in their own right.

There also seems to be some confusion in the article between mid majors and low majors. The A10 of course is not to be confused with the Summit Conference, but it isn't to be confused either with the ACC. While in any given year the a10 may get multiple teams into the tournament, it is still a conference with a ceiling. Getting a team to the elite 8 was a cause for celebration, but other than the '96 UMass team, which later vacated its FF, the a10 has not been a league that produced national champions nor sent teams to the Final Four to challenge for national championships.

The most successful mid major in the past 15 years has been Gonzaga, but their success has not made them into a power program. They broke through in 1999 with a run to the elite 8, but they have never been back their since despite their success in getting to the tournament every year. They play in a decidedly mid major conference where home attendance for everyone else in the conference falls between 1500-3500 except for them and the newly added BYU. They're simply a very successful mid major, not a power program.

And DePaul, St Johns, Seton Hall, are not mid major material (no success in the past 10 years for each) come on lets be honest here

[murphy]

The elimination of mid-majors in the dance will decrease interest in the tournament

The main interest has been the underdog story, the Rocky, David vs Goliath, Breaking away, Bully vs Bullied, Vermont beats UConn
that brought interest. Truman beats Dewey. The romantic story of the the large and powerful being called out and defeated.

Agree…

[HoosierPal]

Will someone please give me an objective definition of 'mid-major'. I'm not sure there is one.

[Bill Marsh]

Quoted from SI.com today

"Quite simply, conference realignment killed the traditional mid-major. The new look Big East -- which includes Creighton, Butler and Xavier -- and the brand new AAC absorbed many teams we used to consider mid-majors into what are now power conferences. The Atlantic 10, on the strength of Saint Louis and VCU, doesn't exactly pass the smell test as a mid-major either. Add those to the traditional power conferences, and there just isn't a ton of room for the mid-majors of 2013-14 to make the dance."

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/colleg ... z2w8EU8TEV

What do you think, agree disagree - My opinion, A10 has not been a mid major for years...

Strongly disagree. The A10 is a mid major plain and simple. There seems to be the assumption in this article that if mid majors achieve some success, they're no longer mid majors. How's that? That seems to be taking a pejorative attitude toward mid majors, suggesting that mid majors can't achieve some success in their own right.

There also seems to be some confusion in the article between mid majors and low majors. The A10 of course is not to be confused with the Summit Conference, but it isn't to be confused either with the ACC. While in any given year the a10 may get multiple teams into the tournament, it is still a conference with a ceiling. Getting a team to the elite 8 was a cause for celebration, but other than the '96 UMass team, which later vacated its FF, the a10 has not been a league that produced national champions nor sent teams to the Final Four to challenge for national championships.

The most successful mid major in the past 15 years has been Gonzaga, but their success has not made them into a power program. They broke through in 1999 with a run to the elite 8, but they have never been back their since despite their success in getting to the tournament every year. They play in a decidedly mid major conference where home attendance for everyone else in the conference falls between 1500-3500 except for them and the newly added BYU. They're simply a very successful mid major, not a power program.

And DePaul, St Johns, Seton Hall, are not mid major material (no success in the past 10 years for each) come on lets be honest here

I'm sorry, but I truly don't get your point. I don't know whether you're agreeing with me or disagreeing with me.

[SecureDaBall]

FGCU to the Sweet 16
LaSalle to the Sweet 16
Wichita St. to the Final Four

Cinderella lives!

[Bill Marsh]

Will someone please give me an objective definition of 'mid-major'. I'm not sure there is one.

There isn't one. It was a term coined back in the 1970's. Everyone seemed to know who the power players were and who the "best of the rest" were. I never thought of it as a term designed to denigrate but rather to elevate those programs with more modest resources but who were successful nonetheless.

[HoosierPal]

Well since there isn't a definition of Major Conference or Mid Major Conference, I'm going to suggest that conferences that routinely get multiple bids to the NCAA are certainly to be grouped together, call them what you want. After all, the Dance is the ultimate calling card.