A conundrum is defined as a confusing and difficult problem or question.
This week, as we approach how to seed the NCAA men’s Division I hockey tournament brackets based on the current PairWise Rankings, we have a conundrum.
Right now, three of the four number one seeds in the regionals are Hockey East teams. The fourth team is North Dakota.
Here is the issue. The 13th team (a No. 4 seed, which needs to play a No. 1 seed) in the PairWise is Massachusetts. The Minutemen are the host in the Springfield Regional, which requires them to play in that region.
The natural fit for the top seed in both Springfield, Mass. and Providence, R.I. regionals would be a Hockey East team, one of the top two local teams (Boston College and Boston University) to reward those teams letting them play close to home.
But the NCAA has been adamant that conference opponents should not play in the opening round of the tournament. Forcing UMass to be in Springfield and trying to keep BC and BU close to home would create an all-Hockey East matchup in the opening round, typically a no-no.
So let’s look at how this all shakes out. First, let’s do the simplest thing and seed the field in a perfect bracket – 1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, etc.
Here are the results:
1. Boston College
8. Denver
9. Minnesota
16. Minnesota State
2. Boston University
7. Michigan State
10. Providence
15. RIT
3. North Dakota
6. Quinnipiac
11. Western Michigan
14. Cornell
4. Maine
5. Wisconsin
12. Michigan
13, Massachusetts
Before we even deal with the Maine-UMass conundrum, let’s first address a simpler switch we can make to avoid a Wisconsin-Michigan matchup. If you switch Michigan and Western Michigan, you avoid a conference matchup in those pairings.
Thus, the bracket becomes:
1. Boston College
8. Denver
9. Minnesota
16. Minnesota State
2. Boston University
7. Michigan State
10. Providence
15. RIT
3. North Dakota
6. Quinnipiac
12. Michigan
14. Cornell
4. Maine
5. Wisconsin
11. Western Michigan
13, Massachusetts
Let’s run with this bracket for now and assign regions to each group of four. Remember, this isn’t final, but it should reflect the ability to keep the highest seeds as close to home as possible.
Providence, R.I.
1. Boston College
8. Denver
9. Minnesota
16. Minnesota State
Maryland Heights, Mo.
2. Boston University
7. Michigan State
10. Providence
15. RIT
Sioux Falls, S.D.
3. North Dakota
6. Quinnipiac
12. Michigan
14. Cornell
Springfield, Mass.
4. Maine
5. Wisconsin
11. Western Michigan
13, Massachusetts
Right now, we still have two Hockey East teams playing one another (Maine vs. UMass). And we also have the No. 2 overall seed, Boston University, further away from home than preferred by the criteria. Let’s start by switching Maine and Boston University.
Providence, R.I.
1. Boston College
8. Denver
9. Minnesota
16. Minnesota State
Maryland Heights, Mo.
4. Maine
7. Michigan State
10. Providence
15. RIT
Sioux Falls, S.D.
3. North Dakota
6. Quinnipiac
12. Michigan
14. Cornell
Springfield, Mass.
2. Boston University
5. Wisconsin
11. Western Michigan
13. Massachusetts
Our only issue left is the fact that BU and UMass are Hockey East opponents. How could we correct this? We’d have to send BU to Sioux Falls and North Dakota to Springfield. But does this make sense? Heck no.
Sioux Falls is a guaranteed sellout if North Dakota is in that region. In fact, most of the fans who’ve bought tickets at this point are likely North Dakota fans.
Similarly Boston University would draw decently in Springfield, about 100 miles away from campus. But what about the BU-UMass first-round game.
Well, let’s revisit the NCAA selection criteria. There is a possible solution for this that is rarely ever used:
Per the criteria:
- “If five or more teams from one conference are selected to the championship, the committee may protect integrity of the bracket (i.e., maintaining the pairing process according to seed may take priority over avoidance of first-round conference matchups).
If you read that, you understand that conference matchups could be allowed if five teams from one conference qualify for the tournament. Hockey East currently has five qualifiers.
While controversial, I am going to say that were this the exact NCAA field, the committee would chose this alignments.
Thus, my final bracket for this week is:
Providence, R.I.
1. Boston College
8. Denver
9. Minnesota
16. Minnesota State
Maryland Heights, Mo.
4. Maine
7. Michigan State
10. Providence
15. RIT
Sioux Falls, S.D.
3. North Dakota
6. Quinnipiac
12. Michigan
14. Cornell
Springfield, Mass.
2. Boston University
5. Wisconsin
11. Western Michigan
13, Massachusetts
Could there be more tweaks? Yes. Would they further mess with bracket integrity? Yes. Do I feel like all four regions will have solid attendance? Yes.
That’s where I end up this week.
