A10 Champs Question

[Miller'sTale]

OK, so we won the regular season and with the tournament still remaining, I was curious to get everyone's input on the following question:

What determines THE A10 Champion each year? In other words, let's say that XU won the regular season and perhaps St. Joes won the tournament - who is the champ? Or are there two? I believe we post on the banner in Cintas the year if we won either the tourney or regular season.

[MD Muskie]

The conference, I believe, recognizes the winner of the tournament as the league champion.

[DC Muskie]

tournament champion is the A-10 champion.

[Miller'sTale]

Fair enough, but don't we list the years we were reg season champs but not tourney champs on the banner in Cintas?

[Michigan Muskie]

tournament champion is the A-10 champion.

Which I have long believed to be very short-sighted. I realize that Xavier has been the beneficiary of this clause in the past, but it still doesn't make sense to me. Why ignore the leader after two months of grueling conference play only to recognize the team who simply gets hot for 3 or 4 days one week. Again, I'm not saying this because X is leading the A-10 this season. I find this to be a flaw in the way the NCAA tournament awards automatic bids, as well.

[xu drew]

i say it can fluctuate from year to year based upon whatever X does. if we win the regular season, we should be recognized as champs. if we win the tourney, we should be recognized as champs.

[American X]

The tourney winner is the official champion, but that cannot stop Xavier from hanging an Atlantic 10 Regular Season Champion banner in the Cowbell if it does not also win the tourney - like 2003.

[DC Muskie]

Why ignore the leader after two months of grueling conference play only to recognize the team who simply gets hot for 3 or 4 days one week.

See, this is exactly when you should be getting hot. This is when we decide who the champions are. I agree in some part to what you say, like automatic bid, but I want us to start getting hot, like tomorrow.

[kyxu]

See, this is exactly when you should be getting hot. This is when we decide who the champions are. I agree in some part to what you say, like automatic bid, but I want us to start getting hot, like tomorrow.

That's absolutely right, and it's the same reason they won't be giving North Carolina the national championship this afternoon and will wait to see how the NCAA Tournament plays out.

[Kahns Krazy]

As a veteran of a much longer debate on the subject, the A-10 does recognize a 'regular season' champion. The designation of "A-10 Champion" is bestowed upon the winner of the A-10 tournament. This is to signify the recipient of the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Xavier is therefore correct in adding a year to the banner if we win either the season or tournament championship.

Prior to the expansion, the A-10 used to have an A-10 East Champion, A-10 West Champion and A-10 Champion.

[Kahns Krazy]

Which I have long believed to be very short-sighted. I realize that Xavier has been the beneficiary of this clause in the past, but it still doesn't make sense to me. Why ignore the leader after two months of grueling conference play only to recognize the team who simply gets hot for 3 or 4 days one week. Again, I'm not saying this because X is leading the A-10 this season. I find this to be a flaw in the way the NCAA tournament awards automatic bids, as well.

Each league decides how to award its automatic bid, if they qualify for one. The Ivy league still gives theirs to the regular season champion and they don't have a tournament. If the A-10 worked that way, the season would have been over 2 weeks ago. I think that solution is worse.

[dethwing]

We're goign to have to disagree on that one then. To me, what a team proves over the course of a regular season is far more important than what they do in 3 games hand selected as the "most important".

Of course, that's American sports for you. You go 18-1 and that's considered a failure. You go 67-15 and that's not good enough. Humbug I say.

Hooray for the Ivies. May you never have the travesty known as a "Conference Tournament"

[Snipe]

"I want to unify the title"

[chico]

All I can say is thank God LH hasn't found this place yet.

[Michigan Muskie]

See, this is exactly when you should be getting hot. This is when we decide who the champions are. I agree in some part to what you say, like automatic bid, but I want us to start getting hot, like tomorrow.

Don't get me wrong DC - this is definitely when you want your team to get hot. No doubt about it. I also have no "perfect solution" - it just seems that so much emphasis is placed on conference play, but then winners of the regular season crown aren't recognized.

Given the climate of college basketball in March, I wouldn't suggest changing anything. I still firmly believe there is no four-week stretch that is more exciting in sports than the NCAA Tournament.