NCAA playoffs tree

NUhockey

Registered User
Jul 6, 2010
1,889
158
Boston
What specifically are you confused about? The structure of the tournament? How the teams/locations are selected? Happy to help.
 

No Fun Shogun

34-38-61-10-13-15
May 1, 2011
56,095
12,755
Illinois
Imagine the NCAA basketball bracket, but have it only begin in the sweet 16. The four regional winners move on to the Frozen Four. This year, the winners of the West and Midwest face each other while winners of the East and Northeast face each other.
 

NUhockey

Registered User
Jul 6, 2010
1,889
158
Boston
The structure.
For example : NCHC.
There was first round. Then 1/4 finals. Then 1/2 finals. How it is going on further? Where is the final serie?

It isn't going on further, the University of Denver won the NCHC tournament final against St. Cloud State a few days ago. The NCHC is it's own smaller conference within the larger NCAA. There are 7 conferences that make up NCAA hockey.

The 7 teams that win their conference title are automatically selected to play in the NCAA tournament. The other teams that play in the NCAA tournament are selected based on a performance rating called Pairwise.

Theoretically that means there are 9 teams remaining to select based on their Pairwise rating, but there are usually a few teams that win their conference title who are also highly ranked in the Pairwise. For example, Denver is #5 in the Pairwise but won their conference title, so for Pairwise selection purposes they are skipped over.

And that's the process. It's basically take your 7 conference winners, and the best 9 teams ranked by pairwise outside them.

As for the seeding, that is 100% determined by pairwise ranking. There are four each of #1, #2, #3, and #4 seeds (1-16). St. Cloud state is your #1 overall seed, and they get to play AHA champion Air Force, the weakest #4 seed (16) by pairwise. The committee then attempts to place teams in the four NCAA regional rounds by how close to home they are, starting with the four #1 seed teams. Sometimes they will deviate from this to boost attendance (See Northeastern and BU in Northeast), and voila, you have your bracket:

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AUS Fan

Registered User
Aug 1, 2008
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At the Rink
Great explanation on how the teams are ranked/seeded for Regional is found in the Pairwise site.
 
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NUhockey

Registered User
Jul 6, 2010
1,889
158
Boston
Aha. Also the team, who doesn't win his own conference, could be the overall champion? Strange... :huh:

That's right...and it's really not that strange. It doesn't make sense to punish a team for losing one game when they've won a lot of games all season against quality opponents, right? That's where Pairwise comes in. Although having a tournament comprised of only conference winners would be interesting.

One thing I didn't mention is that the committee will also attempt to spread same conference teams out in the NCAA Regionals.
 

Drummer

Better Red than Dead
Mar 20, 2009
1,688
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Freddy Beach, NB
www.vredshockey.com
One thing I didn't mention is that the committee will also attempt to spread same conference teams out in the NCAA Regionals.

That's true, but I like how the NCAA keeps the 'swapping' to only those team's at the same level. eg. a #4 seed can only be swapped with another #4 from another region (rather than a #3) and #2s with other #2s and so on, so it does not degrade the integrity of the draw.

Both Minnesota teams meeting in the first round is tough.
 

PSUPEN

Registered User
Apr 1, 2013
287
17
PSU has a tough road . 1st game is with Denver. I am a die-hard PSU fan sooooooo LETS GO PENN STATE!
 

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