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NCAA baseball committee chastises coaches for non-weather cancellations
TL;DR
The NCAA Division I Baseball Oversight Committee has reprimanded coaches for canceling games for non-weather reasons. The committee is concerned about these cancellations affecting selection metrics for the NCAA Baseball Tournament.
Key points
- NCAA reprimands coaches for non-weather game cancellations
- Concerns about impacting selection metrics
- Reference to NCAA's RPI Rankings system
The NCAA Division I Baseball Oversight Committee has put college baseball programs on notice for non-weather related game cancellations.
In a letter to Division I baseball coaches on Wednesday, May 6, Michael Alford, the chair of the oversight committee, wrote that both the oversight committee and Division I Baseball Championship Subcommittee have expressed worries about the number of regular-season games canceled this season "for reasons other than inclement weather."
"It is not the intent or spirit of the game to adjust scheduled games in an attempt to strategically impact selection data or metrics," the letter wrote.
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The "impact selection data or metrics" that Alford mentions in the letter, which was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Cal State Bakersfield head coach Jordon Banfield, is likely referring to the NCAA's RPI Rankings system, which is heavily considered and weighed by the NCAA Selection Committee when putting together the NCAA Baseball Tournament bracket.
The RPI system â also known as the Rating Percentage Index â is a data-driven sorting system based on a team's strength of schedule. It uses three factors: a team's own winning percentage, its opponents' winning percentage and its opponents' opponents' winning percentage.
Boston College announced Monday, May 11 that it has canceled Tuesdayâs nonâconference game against UMass Lowell, saying the cancellation was "to remain within the NCAAâmandated limit for regularâseason competitions." The Eagles weren't the only recent Power Four program to cancel a non-conference game, though.
Marshall announced on Monday that "Virginia Tech notified Marshall officials that they have elected to opt out of the contract for the contest" between the two programs that was also scheduled for Tuesday. Central Florida announced on Sunday that both the Knights and Bethune-Cookman "mutually agreed" to cancel their non-conference game for Tuesday as well. Game cancellations haven't only come at the Power Four level, it's also come at the mid-major level between two mid-major programs, like East Carolina and Campbell.
Division I programs are allowed a maximum of 56 regularâseason games, with postseason contests excluded from that cap.
"As you are aware, when selecting teams for the championship, the championship subcommittee weighs all the available data and the complete body of work. The subcommittee has kept, and will continue to keep, a watchful eye on team schedules and any known reasons for any cancellation," the letter continued.
"During the subcommittee's subjective evaluation of teams, games cancelled to avoid the impact of mathematical metrics will be discussed and could have a negative impact on the subcommittee's evaluation of a team."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA cracks down on college baseball nonâweather game cancellations
Q&A
What did the NCAA Division I Baseball Oversight Committee say about game cancellations?
The committee expressed concerns over non-weather related game cancellations and stated that such actions could strategically impact selection metrics.
Why are non-weather related cancellations a concern for NCAA baseball?
These cancellations are seen as attempts to manipulate selection data, which could undermine the integrity of the game and the NCAA tournament selection process.
How do game cancellations affect NCAA Baseball Tournament selection metrics?
Cancellations can influence the RPI Rankings, which the NCAA Selection Committee uses to evaluate teams for the tournament bracket.
