Lawless Republic
Fansided

Conference USA’s new basketball scheduling could benefit the West Coast Conference

By Shaun Gordon

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: A logo for the West Coast Conference basketball tournament is shown on the court before the championship game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: A logo for the West Coast Conference basketball tournament is shown on the court before the championship game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 2
Next

The WCC could potentially benefit from following Conference USA’s example, shaking up their conference scheduling in a radical new way.

Conference USA is changing their conference scheduling in basketball, and they’re doing it in a very big way.

It could change the way conferences schedule their seasons forever.

Or it could create a trainwreck.

But the purpose behind their new method is sound, and it could benefit the WCC.

Starting next season, here’s how the 14 C-USA teams will play their in-conference schedule:

  • Each team will play every other team in conference once, and play their travel partner twice.
  • For the last four conference games, the teams will be split into three tiers based on the standings (1-5, 6-10, 11-14)
  • Each team will play the other teams in their tier once. In the lower tier, each team will play one team twice.
  • Each team will play two home games and two road games, based on a prearranged formula.
  • When it comes to tournament seeding, the teams will be stuck in their tier (i.e. a Tier 2 team can’t be seeded higher than sixth or lower than tenth).

College basketball has never seen anything like this, and this new schedule isn’t without its problems. Travel arrangements and ticketing could become a nightmare. One team may play another twice on the road, never at home. But the goal of this new scheduling is clear.

Strength of Schedule.

By taking the top teams and giving them more games against the other top teams, it creates a stronger tournament resume. The NCAA Selection Committee has begun putting more emphasis on a strong schedule and less on the number of wins. Conferences and teams are taking notice.

Conference USA learned that lesson the hard way last season. Middle Tennessee entered Selection Sunday with a 24-7 record and an RPI of 33. They were perhaps the biggest tournament snub, and all because of one thing.

Strength of schedule.

If this new format can overcome the drawbacks, it could work exactly as desired, helping the conference boost the resumes of their top teams. If that happens, other conferences, especially mid-majors, could soon follow suit. And that includes the West Coast Conference.

Home/BYU Basketball