WIAA and the New Format
- Thread starter wasports
- Start date
Reducing cost is commendable and necessary in these times. However, the costs where not reduced, but rather just transferred to the school level and the families with more travel.
Back to the original question of forethought, a team with a loss can still win. Teams playing each other twice. Reduced attendance. The atmosphere. That is not a state tournament. 16 team, loser out first round at the dome would have netted less overall costs (not just to the WIAA) and would have maintained the integrity of the tournament.
Back to the original question of forethought, a team with a loss can still win. Teams playing each other twice. Reduced attendance. The atmosphere. That is not a state tournament. 16 team, loser out first round at the dome would have netted less overall costs (not just to the WIAA) and would have maintained the integrity of the tournament.
I agree on the costs being shifted. One of the reason I have not attended all the games is that I would have had to drive to the Tacoma area about 4 times. I believe, though, that Washington was one of the very few states that still had the 16 team tournament. I am almost sure that unless the attendance is huge and the $$ rolls in, they will be changing again next year especially in light of all the criticism.
If Kamiakin beats North Central or Kennedy Catholic beats Holy Names in the finals, will they play a rub (3rd) game in a Wenatchee middle school (cheap, as it will be in conjuction with a band concert) to determine the real Champion? Just trying to follow their thought process as we need to book yet another motel room and plan another winter trip. Need new snow tires. Dang!
This post was edited on 3/1 12:42 PM by wasports
This post was edited on 3/1 12:42 PM by wasports
lets make this two separate issues. one is saving costs. i dont have that much of a problem with the 8 team format. if it saves money then fine. the big huge problem is the asinine, clueless, amateur way these games have been determined. several teams played for district championship last week. yet, low and behold play first game versus each other in yakima. across all clasifications there were things that were not fair. teams hosting state games, teams playing 4 and 5 times. teams being able to lose. same seeds being treated differently. tourneys are pretty basic to set up. i cant figure out where the disconnect came from with the wiaa. smart people making bad decisions. i dont even think they new this would happen. in some cases teams had a better route to state if they threw a game and lost on purpose. thats the prob with pre determined draws. i am asking all wiaa executives to please resign. thank you.
It would be interesting to hear from them what their goals were when they planned this. But we never will. Their reply right now is that they will look at it after the season. Like they anticipate the situation to change and their problems go away. They will then applaud themselves on all the money that they saved. We know that's coming. Problem is that they won't have a tournament to show for what they did spend.
This post was edited on 3/1 7:49 PM by wasports
This post was edited on 3/1 7:49 PM by wasports
I love the new format. My favorite part about it is the fact that it makes going to state truly special. Before, many teams with easy roads got in that clearly didn't belong. This makes it truly championship-like. A true elite 8, narrowing down to 1 champion. I love it. If you don't like it, apply for a job with the WIAA and change it, or deal with it. That's all I gotta say here!
Don't think it's going to be necessary to get a job with the WIAA for this to be changed before next season. The 8 teams at the Dome isnt really the big issue. It's the path that they have drawn that's the issue. There are those that see many problems with this format and then there is Hocksports. Time will tell.
If you are expecting changes to the Dome next year, you will be disappointed. If you are expecting changes to the pre-Dome format, you will still likely be disappointed...
having 8 teams at state should be fine. what the wiaa needs to clean up is the regional round. just implement a few rules. no teams can host games, teams from same conference cant play first game in yakima or tacoma, if you meet for district championship, cant play first game in yakima or tacoma. figure out a way to treat equal seeds the same way. i bet people would be fine if they did that.
Here was what Al Aldridge offered as a solution, from "The Columbian"
Al Aldridge, who has coached the Prairie girls to 14 consecutive state tournament appearances, said there is a happy medium here that allows for a 16-team bracket in the dome but only five days of rental.
On Tuesday, all 32 teams ? 16 from the 3A girls and 16 from the 3A boys ? play the first-round games. Single-elimination. On Wednesday, all 32 of the 4A teams play single-elimination, first-round games.
Then on Thursday, the eight remaining teams in each tournament go to double-elimination for the all the trophies, just like this year’s Thursday-through-Saturday format.
The drawback: Teams that travel to Tacoma will not be guaranteed two games. So what: The Evergreen girls and boys traveled to Richland for the opening round games and were both one-and-done.
Al Aldridge, who has coached the Prairie girls to 14 consecutive state tournament appearances, said there is a happy medium here that allows for a 16-team bracket in the dome but only five days of rental.
On Tuesday, all 32 teams ? 16 from the 3A girls and 16 from the 3A boys ? play the first-round games. Single-elimination. On Wednesday, all 32 of the 4A teams play single-elimination, first-round games.
Then on Thursday, the eight remaining teams in each tournament go to double-elimination for the all the trophies, just like this year’s Thursday-through-Saturday format.
The drawback: Teams that travel to Tacoma will not be guaranteed two games. So what: The Evergreen girls and boys traveled to Richland for the opening round games and were both one-and-done.
well, he is at least well known to the WIAA. Maybe, just maybe, they will considerate it. I guess part hinges on how much the savings is between rental for 3 days and five. They also have to factor in the amount of cost shifting that took place. I think it is a great idea.
I agree. It's simplistic approach eliminates the potential of alot of the unforseen tangibles that plagued this years format. There will be 3 teams that won't like it, but like HockSports put it, deal with it. What do you think, Hock, no recruiting in HS, the tournament is fine and????
This post was edited on 3/9 5:33 PM by wasports
This post was edited on 3/9 5:33 PM by wasports
I am open to any suggestions in terms of regionals. But I think if WIAA got anything right, it is making the quarterfinals the first round played in the Dome. Top 8 in the state go to the Dome... adds the honor of being at the Dome. Before... 16 teams in Dome.. you're playing with some great teams, some good teams, some bad teams... Top 8 in the Dome ensures you've got the good and great teams in the Dome... it makes it a TRULY Elite 8.
Well now. We didn't see this coming, did we? As anticipated the WIAA is "applauding themselves" over their "more than anticipated" finacial success of this years format. See link below. One problem, they failed to address, research and disclose how much of this was not actual savings but transferred to the schools and families. The comprehensive expenditure actully increased. What kind of crap are they trying to sell?
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/03/22/1594811/more-change-coming-for-state-hoops.html?story_link=email_msg#
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/03/22/1594811/more-change-coming-for-state-hoops.html?story_link=email_msg#