NCAA baseball and geographical diversity

by PhilipVU94 on May 30, 2010 4:45 PM EDT Comment 1 comment

As you might know by now, Vanderbilt was not selected as a regional host for the 2010 NCAA Baseball Championship. Connecticut, after an inferior season by any objective measure, was selected. Should I be outraged?

I actually give the NCAA some measure of credit. They said that regional diversity would be a criterion, so it only makes sense to follow through.

Now, whether that should be a higher criterion than home team merit is obviously an open matter. In a vacuum I understand their motives, but it's not like there are a lot of neutral college baseball fans in King of Prussia, PA; Waltham, MA; or Albany, NY who are jumping for joy because now they can drive comfortably to see NCAA baseball. If those people don't exist in any appreciable number, why bother trying to [appease them] get them involved?

[VS cross-post]

Silver lining: The last time UConn hosted the NCAAs, also in a minor-league park, it hosted an eventual national champion from the SEC.

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You had me at Waltham, MA

Having a potential #1 seed at Storrs, just 90 minutes from my childhood home, really makes me regret not making the effort to drive 100 miles south to Louisville last year. It’s tough to argue with the idea of spreading games out to less represented areas with the NCAAT, even if it means Vandy loses a hosting spot. The baseball tournament needs to grow its brand, and the northeast is an area that produces several great players but rarely gets to reap the fruits of that development (just look at the year’s VU squad).

Thanks to Corbin’s pipeline, playing in New England would be an additional boost for the ‘Dores, so there’s still a home-field benefit to some minor extent. There’s a silver lining here, should it come to fruition.

But seriously, should the rumors be true, we need to destroy UConn. Home-field or not, that’s a draw we can take advantage of, you know, if the bats actually show up.

http://www.anchorofgold.com - For all 27 Vanderbilt fans out there.

by Train Island on May 30, 2010 11:23 PM EDT reply actions