Coaches Poll also out for week 15 (2/16/16)

[Fightin Choke]

Yes.
SC & ND are competing to be in the Lexington KY regional. That is a 5-7 hr drive for them and their fans, as opposed to ending up in Sioux Falls, SD.

Last year Notre Dame wanted to be in the closer Greensboro regional (650 miles away) instead of the Oklahoma City regional (860 miles away) but South Carolina was awarded Greensboro and also got an easier 2-seed in Florida St. (Notre Dame got Baylor and their fans (288 mile drive from Waco). Wasn't ND the 2nd 1-seed last year? I think they consider factors other than merit when creating these brackets. By the way, great to have you back, Vowelguy!

 

[uconnell]

Last year Notre Dame wanted to be in the closer Greensboro regional (650 miles away) instead of the Oklahoma City regional (860 miles away) but South Carolina was awarded Greensboro and also got an easier 2-seed in Florida St. (Notre Dame got Baylor and their fans (288 mile drive from Waco). Wasn't ND the 2nd 1-seed last year? I think they consider factors other than merit when creating these brackets. By the way, great to have you back, Vowelguy!

Welcome to the ACC.

 

[Replicant]

Tenn's next 2 games are against the 2 worst teams in the league - LSU and Mississippi (both 2-10 in the SEC). Tenn should win both handily.

That is not a given with this TN 'gang that can't shoot straight'.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Yes.
SC & ND are competing to be in the Lexington KY regional. That is a 5-7 hr drive for them and their fans, as opposed to ending up in Sioux Falls, SD.

Sioux Falls is a lot closer to South Bend than it is to Columbia, though. We would take thousands of fans to Lexington; I'm not sure how many to Sioux Falls. If I went I guess I'd fly into Minneapolis and drive to Sioux Falls. I'd imagine last minute plane fare to SF would be outrageous and on a crop duster.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Last year Notre Dame wanted to be in the closer Greensboro regional (650 miles away) instead of the Oklahoma City regional (860 miles away) but South Carolina was awarded Greensboro and also got an easier 2-seed in Florida St. (Notre Dame got Baylor and their fans (288 mile drive from Waco). Wasn't ND the 2nd 1-seed last year? I think they consider factors other than merit when creating these brackets. By the way, great to have you back, Vowelguy!

I wouldn't be surprised if the NCAA doesn't consider ticket sales when making slight adjustments like that.

 

[j66kicker]

Sioux Falls is a lot closer to South Bend than it is to Columbia, though. We would take thousands of fans to Lexington; I'm not sure how many to Sioux Falls. If I went I guess I'd fly into Minneapolis and drive to Sioux Falls. I'd imagine last minute plane fare to SF would be outrageous and on a crop duster.

Omaha is also a 2 hour drive from SF. Allegiant Airline flies 737s into/out of SF 3-4 times a week. United also, with connections of course. Problem is if there's a airline glitch or you have a schedule problem, you're stuck in SF for an extra day or two, or you drive to Omaha or MN anyway.

 

[Vowelguy]

Last year Notre Dame wanted to be in the closer Greensboro regional (650 miles away) instead of the Oklahoma City regional (860 miles away) but South Carolina was awarded Greensboro and also got an easier 2-seed in Florida St.

The difference between 650 & 860 miles seems negligible since at that distance, driving is out for most. It's a flight. In contrast, Gboro was just a couple of hours from SC.
That was a clear decision imho.

 

[Vowelguy]

Sioux Falls is a lot closer to South Bend than it is to Columbia, though. We would take thousands of fans to Lexington; I'm not sure how many to Sioux Falls. If I went I guess I'd fly into Minneapolis and drive to Sioux Falls. I'd imagine last minute plane fare to SF would be outrageous and on a crop duster.

It's a plane flight from both SB & Colu. I give the edge to SC but if they slip up, ND has a reasonable claim.

The Lexington regional, btw, could have dynamite crowds. Imagine SC, Ohio St (3 hrs), and Louisville (1.5 hrs)?

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

It's a plane flight from both SB & Colu. I give the edge to SC but if they slip up, ND has a reasonable claim.

The Lexington regional, btw, could have dynamite crowds. Imagine SC, Ohio St (3 hrs), and Louisville (1.5 hrs)?

Yes it could and with it at Rupp Arena there would be no shortage of tickets.

 

[Fightin Choke]

It's a plane flight from both SB & Colu. I give the edge to SC but if they slip up, ND has a reasonable claim.

The Lexington regional, btw, could have dynamite crowds. Imagine SC, Ohio St (3 hrs), and Louisville (1.5 hrs)?

Aren't you understating things here? If South Carolina loses another game and Notre Dame wins out, that would only provide ND with a "reasonable" claim? What would need to happen for the Irish to nail down the 2-seed?

 

[Fightin Choke]

The difference between 650 & 860 miles seems negligible since at that distance, driving is out for most. It's a flight. In contrast, Gboro was just a couple of hours from SC.
That was a clear decision imho.

I understand your argument, but Notre Dame's fan base is much closer to Greenboro than it was to Oklahoma City, so distance to South Bend is not the only factor in desiring the Greensboro locale. Also, how is it rewarding ND if they have to face Baylor and a pro-Baylor crowd in Oklahoma City? Baylor was by far the strongest 2-seed last season, and to face them at a far from neutral site made the game even tougher.