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Topic: MAC Tournament format changing again

Topic: MAC Tournament format changing again

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Brufus
General User

Member Since: 12/13/2011
Location: Wherever Miami and Michigan suck
Post Count: 440

Status: Offline

MAC Tournament format changing again

Posted: 8/12/2026 8:10:34 PM

https://x.com/JonRothstein/status/2087644791811051761

Going back to the format they tried in the early 2010s when the top two got byes to the semifinals. I thought it was a terrible idea then, and it still is now.

When will the MAC Conference (as Rothstein called it) ever learn?

Jeff McKinney
Moderator

Member Since: 11/12/2004
Post Count: 6,167

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Tournament format changing again

Posted: 8/13/2026 12:37:14 AM

I agree that it's a bad idea.

OhioCatFan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 15,822

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Tournament format changing again

Posted: 8/13/2026 12:37:21 AM

Brufus wrote:

Probably about the same time that the Athens City good old boys and gals learn to schedule major street repairs over the summer and not start them a few weeks before students return to campus. Current example: Richland Avenue.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

SBH
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 4,706

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Tournament format changing again

Posted: 8/13/2026 8:01:06 AM

Presume this was a demand by Miami following embarrassing first-round exit after epic regular season.

FJC31
General User

Member Since: 3/31/2022
Post Count: 2,405

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Tournament format changing again

Posted: 8/13/2026 8:56:30 AM

Will we be upset if we finish as a top 2 seed?

QuantCat
General User

Member Since: 7/15/2025
Post Count: 69

Status: Online

RE: MAC Tournament format changing again

Posted: 8/13/2026 10:36:34 AM

I may be one of few here that likes this change. I might have been against if the MAC didn�t also change the regular season to now have every team play each other twice. The former 18 game schedule could result in lesser teams having a better record in conference play simply because they only had to play Miami/Akron/Kent once when others had to play them twice. My defense of it overall would be:

1. The MAC will continue to be a one bid league (even with this year looking to be the strongest in years). I would prefer that our best teams get the best shot at winning because weird stuff can happen in basketball and bad teams can have one incredible game.

2. It takes out a large chunk of the luck factor and forces teams to perform in the regular season. Kent a few years ago had no business making the championship and UMASS had no business even playing Miami in a quarterfinal given how mediocre they were in the regular season.

3. Putting all 8 teams on an even playing field doesn�t actually make sense. A team can win 5 MAC games and get the same chance to win as one who went undefeated. That might be �fun� but is it actually good for the MAC?

4. Don�t like having to play 3 or 4 games? Win more games in the regular season. Be better. Also, you could still see a magical run where a team wins 4 games to win the tournament.

5. The best MAC team making the tournament means a higher chance of wins in the tournament. Wins in the tournament means money for the conference.

A 22 game regular season makes it both fair and competitive to run the tournament in that way while also incentivizing winning in those regular season games. We should be rewarding teams who do well rather than rewarding the teams who don�t.

Last Edited: 8/13/2026 10:44:35 AM by QuantCat

shabamon
General User

Member Since: 11/17/2006
Location: Cincinnati
Post Count: 7,389

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Tournament format changing again

Posted: 8/13/2026 11:45:34 AM

I'm all for the idea of rewarding top seeds with a better path to a title, but IMO there are better ways to accomplish it. The MAC tournament as an event is awesome and I think the MAC should preserve what it has going for it. Giving two teams double byes makes the event less of a tournament. The fact that Miami lost to the eight seed doesn't make the existing format wrong. I really have no sympathy for them if they can't get up to beat UMass in an NBA arena in a single-elimination game.

I would be more accepting of this format if it didn't mean the possibility of a team needing to win four games in four days while playing a team that is physically fresh in game three. Competitive advantage is fair, but adding fatigue disadvantage to the mix doesn't make for a true tournament. What about keeping the bye format but doing it this way:

Tuesday: Women and men's first round games
Wednesday: Women and men's quarterfinal games
Thursday: Women's semifinal games in the evening
Friday: Men's semifinal games in the evening
Saturday: Championship games

Pro: The worst any team has are women's teams that win first round and quarterfinals game. You should have pretty fresh athletes in every game Con: People may be unwilling to attend the first few rounds if there's a possibility of a day where their team is not playing.

Or this:

Men's and women's first round games on campus Monday and/or Tuesday
Wednesday: ALL TEAMS OFF
Thursday: Women and men's quarterfinal games
Friday: Women and men's semifinal games
Saturday: Championship games

Pro: Everyone's somewhat equally fresh, once teams start the tournament in Cleveland there are no off days as long as they keep winning and that's easier for fans planning travel. Con: Rocket Fieldhouse and Cleveland would not like this as in the past, Wednesday was a full day of games and this would eliminate that.

For an added competitive wrinkle favoring top seeds, both of these formats could reseed after each round so the top remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed.

Last Edited: 8/13/2026 11:52:20 AM by shabamon

OhioCatFan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 15,822

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Tournament format changing again

Posted: 8/13/2026 1:54:52 PM

shabamon: I think re-seeding is an interesting concept. I really like that part of your Plan B.

M.D.W.S.T
General User

Member Since: 12/23/2021
Post Count: 3,732

Status: Offline

RE: MAC Tournament format changing again

Posted: 8/13/2026 2:14:39 PM

Thanks, I hate it.

(Unless we're top two, then sucks to suck, nerds)

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