mrjames
Professor
Posts: 6062
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
|
04-19-17 03:01 PM - Post#228798
In response to pennhoops
It used to be that both the Ivy and NCAA rule was 1-in-4 years for exempt events. Then it became pretty clear that these events were good programming, but they couldn't be expanded if the blue bloods could only do 1-in-4, so the NCAA allowed teams to do one every year. The Ivies weren't ready to go that far, so they instituted a 2-in-4 policy.
Even though the number of these MTEs has proliferated (especially on the bracketed side), the bracketed events are still mostly dominated by major conf programs and mid-majors that have been varying shades of good in the recent past. It's much easier to get into the non-bracketed events, where essentially you play a couple major conf programs on the road (those having already been "guaranteed" a spot in the semifinals) and then a couple more games in a pool against other mid-majors. The preseason NIT is the last remaining hybrid, where you still play two games then two more in a pool, but you can earn your way to MSG - there are no "guaranteed" semifinalists.
At any rate, Penn is eligible, and I'm hopeful that they will get into one of these events soon, as they are a GREAT way to get neutral site scalps against good power conf teams:
|