Bison137
Professor
Posts: 16147
Reg: 01-23-06
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07-12-06 12:23 AM - Post#21245
According to the schedule now posted on the Colgate website, they will also be in the bracketbuster, along with the Bison and apparently Holy Cross. This seems to indicate that the bb has opened up the field to more PL participation, so there could be more to come. It's surprising if Colgate would get chosen before LU and/or American.
However, if Colgate does not improve on last year's record, they may not gain much from being in the bb. A long trip to play a bad team in the middle of your league schedule a month into second semester is not much of a reward. In any event, it is good for the Patriot League profile.
http://www.colgate.edu/frameset.aspx?nwURL=http://athletics.colgate.edu
Their other out of conference games, according to the posted schedule, are:
Stony Brook
Dartmouth
Canisius
Binghamton
Quinnipiac
Harvard
Elmira
Syracuse
Arizona State
UC-Riverside
Santa Clara - Cable Car Classic
TBD - Cable Car Classic
Cornell
Fairly similar to last year, possibly a slight upgrade.
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Shot Clock
Masters Student
Posts: 883
Loc: Arlington VA
Reg: 01-27-06
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Re: Colgate in Bracketbuster
07-12-06 07:31 PM - Post#21246
In response to Bison137
That's a big surprise; not Holy Cross - they should have been in it from the start.
| B.A. Bucknell University, 1993 |
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CHC8485
Sophomore
Posts: 151
Reg: 02-01-06
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Re: Colgate in Bracketbuster
07-12-06 08:10 PM - Post#21247
In response to Shot Clock
Who says Holy Cross is not in as well??
A couple of VERY reliable HC posters have sources saying we're in.
At this time last year the PL announced "Rivalry Weekends" with Bucknell playing Colgate on the same weekend as the BracketBuster. A month later, Bucknell Colgate on Rivalry Weekend was history and Bucknell was scheduled for for the BB.
Who's to say 3 or even 4 PL teams are not part of the BB this year?
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Bison137
Professor
Posts: 16147
Reg: 01-23-06
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Re: Colgate in Bracketbuster
07-13-06 12:05 AM - Post#21248
In response to CHC8485
Quote:
Who says Holy Cross is not in as well??
A couple of VERY reliable HC posters have sources saying we're in.
At this time last year the PL announced "Rivalry Weekends" with Bucknell playing Colgate on the same weekend as the BracketBuster. A month later, Bucknell Colgate on Rivalry Weekend was history and Bucknell was scheduled for for the BB.
Who's to say 3 or even 4 PL teams are not part of the BB this year?
I'd bet on four (or more) teams being in. It appears that HC is in, and it's hard to believe the bb would take Colgate, who finished 6th last year and will likely be picked for 5th or 6th this year, ahead of American and/or Lehigh.
Whether the bracketbuster is a good thing for a so-so team is another issue. If Colgate has another sub-.500 season, they will probably be rewarded with an away game vs a team with an RPI of 200+. Colgate at Rider or Youngstown State is the likely sort of matchup. Last year there were at least 16 bracketbuster hosts with RPI's of 175 or higher, and they usually hosted the weakest visiting teams.
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VictoryGallop
Sophomore
Posts: 139
Reg: 02-25-06
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Re: Colgate in Bracketbuster
07-20-06 12:16 AM - Post#21249
In response to Bison137
The BracketBuster concept has gotten completely overblown. The fact is something like 100 to 120 schools are in the "Bracketbuster." Heck, a crappy Loyola team played a crappy High Point team in last year's "Bracketbuster." So the fact that Colgate is "in it" means nothing. In the end, ESPN will decide which 32 of those teams they want to spotlight, and the other are just left to play a completely random nonleague game.
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Shot Clock
Masters Student
Posts: 883
Loc: Arlington VA
Reg: 01-27-06
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Re: Colgate in Bracketbuster
07-20-06 01:10 AM - Post#21250
In response to VictoryGallop
True, but ESPN probably just wants to increase the pool of teams that they can choose from when it comes time to pick the TV matchups.
What amazed me about last year's BB is that UNC-Wilimington wasn't a participant. Seemed like a huge oversight, considering they have been a solid mid-major for a number of years.
| B.A. Bucknell University, 1993 |
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KenZ
Postdoc
Posts: 2777
Reg: 01-23-06
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Re: Colgate in Bracketbuster
07-20-06 10:12 AM - Post#21251
In response to Shot Clock
Quote:
What amazed me about last year's BB is that UNC-Wilimington wasn't a participant. Seemed like a huge oversight, considering they have been a solid mid-major for a number of years.
i believe UNCW declined an invite last year as opposed to being snubbed. they are participating this year as is the entire CAA. as a scheduled road team this year, maybe they will come to Sojka. then the Bison could make a nice two game swing down to NC next year.
as for the value of the bb and number of teams invited, two good things about being invited are:
(1) if the team, e.g. Colgate, has a surprising breakout year, they are in and have the opportunity for a good match up and even a tv game
(2) it helps all the schools with scheduling a home and home. if you are not in the top tv tier, they now focus on geographic proximity as much as rpi rankings in setting the matchups so there is no longer the cross country trek to get two lower level team together.
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