Bracketology 2019

On the topic of B1G baseball not getting props, considering they’re a completely northern conference and the starting date for baseball is skewed against these teams, seeing them regularly as the 4th-6th best conference is an actual improvement.

Add to that the B1G schools spending money on baseball now (even Northwestern, FFS) shows that the conference is starting to take it seriously too. 

Does this mean they’ll immediately be the best Baseball conference in the nation? No, but in 5-10 years, I wouldn’t be shocked if the conference starts showing up as one of top three conferences in baseball by RPI and we see more TV coverage. 

Baby steps...Rome wasn’t built in a day

 
On the topic of B1G baseball not getting props, considering they’re a completely northern conference and the starting date for baseball is skewed against these teams, seeing them regularly as the 4th-6th best conference is an actual improvement.

Add to that the B1G schools spending money on baseball now (even Northwestern, FFS) shows that the conference is starting to take it seriously too. 

Does this mean they’ll immediately be the best Baseball conference in the nation? No, but in 5-10 years, I wouldn’t be shocked if the conference starts showing up as one of top three conferences in baseball by RPI and we see more TV coverage. 

Baby steps...Rome wasn’t built in a day


It will be tough to ever crack the top 3 with the SEC, Big 12, ACC, and Pac 12 - but moving into the top 5 and occasionally moving ahead of one of the other Power 5 is a more realistic goal. 

 
It will be tough to ever crack the top 3 with the SEC, Big 12, ACC, and Pac 12 - but moving into the top 5 and occasionally moving ahead of one of the other Power 5 is a more realistic goal. 
The interesting thing with the Pac-12 is they don't play a conference tournament, wonder if it helps them any/hurts. Obvious answer would be no with UCLA and Oregon State winning from that conference.

 
On the topic of B1G baseball not getting props, considering they’re a completely northern conference and the starting date for baseball is skewed against these teams, seeing them regularly as the 4th-6th best conference is an actual improvement.

Add to that the B1G schools spending money on baseball now (even Northwestern, FFS) shows that the conference is starting to take it seriously too. 

Does this mean they’ll immediately be the best Baseball conference in the nation? No, but in 5-10 years, I wouldn’t be shocked if the conference starts showing up as one of top three conferences in baseball by RPI and we see more TV coverage. 

Baby steps...Rome wasn’t built in a day
I agree, however I believe they should make an effort in pushing back the season one month otherwise I think there is a ceiling the Big Ten could aspire to and it is below the other P5 leagues.  The CWS in July would be fine.  Maybe the SEC and ACC like the competitive advantage and would block it?  It makes no sense to start in February when MLB starts in late March.

 
I agree, however I believe they should make an effort in pushing back the season one month otherwise I think there is a ceiling the Big Ten could aspire to and it is below the other P5 leagues.  The CWS in July would be fine.  Maybe the SEC and ACC like the competitive advantage and would block it?  It makes no sense to start in February when MLB starts in late March.


I concur. The start date needs to be moved back a month or so. 

That, or maybe with all of our B1G money, we look at putting a retractable dome on Haymarket Park?

 
I don't know that it feels particularly fair to the student athletes to have to stay in school until sometime in July.


Really???

Ask a Nebraska baseball player if he would prefer to play in warmer weather and have more early season home games but have to play till July.....or the way it is now.

I have a guess as to what their answer would be.

And.....they don't have to "stay in school".  There is no reason why the season can't go past the end of the school year.

 
Really???

Ask a Nebraska baseball player if he would prefer to play in warmer weather and have more early season home games but have to play till July.....or the way it is now.

I have a guess as to what their answer would be.

And.....they don't have to "stay in school".  There is no reason why the season can't go past the end of the school year.




They have to stay in Lincoln (some in the dorms) with no classes, likely an overwhelming majority of friends gone, and no 'distractions' for two months longer than every other student/student-athlete and their summer 'break' ends up being barely a month. Some of them wouldn't care or wouldn't need it, but some would. 

 
The interesting thing with the Pac-12 is they don't play a conference tournament, wonder if it helps them any/hurts. Obvious answer would be no with UCLA and Oregon State winning from that conference.


I would be okay with doing without a tourney if it meant the B1G scheduled another in-conference series. Or better yet, the time is given to the schools to schedule better non-con to improve RPI (excluding Nebraska—they already do this).

 
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