’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

[gh]

Don't know about you, but I found it rather exciting in '03 when the new NCAA Regionals brought a bit more cohesion--for lack of a better word--to the collegiate side of the sport. The last weekend of May was the Regionals and two weeks before that was the end of the Q period, a weekend we tagged "Super Conference Weekend" since it meant that virtually every major conference in the country was contested at the same time.

Sadly (?) such will not be the case in '04. Looking at the real biggies, we find that SEC, Big 10 and IC4A are still slated to be held two weeks before Regionals, but Pac-10 will be three weeks before and Big 12 will be four weeks before. That's certainly going to pose some interesting peaking problems for some people.

[Guest]

Re: ’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

Not to mention the consequences of these early conference meets in the context of Mt.SAC, Kansas, Drake and Penn.

[Guest]

Re: ’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

Will schools like A&M, Baylor and Texas still be as competetive at Penn and Drake? I think not!

[Guest]

Re: ’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

I think the Big 12 performances at the relay meets will be better than ever; wait'll you see how they suck at Regionals then REALLY SUCK at Nationals.

[dl]

Re: ’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

A lot of coaches threatened to not bring their teams to Penn/Drake because of regionals, but I don't know of any who actually skipped the two relay meets in 2003.

Who could afford to? Both are big recruiting opportunities, especially Penn. And how are you going to attract kids to your program if you tell them you don't go to Penn or Drake.

The USC/UCLA dual conflicted with Penn/Drake in '03, but neither of those teams have gone to the big relay meets consistently in recent years anyway.

[Guest]

Re: ’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

Drake and Penn will suffer a lot with most of the Big 12 schools opting out of the relays all together. I don't think those schools will want to travel a lot a week before conference.

Mt. SAC won't take much of a hit, except maybe in the 10K races.

As for future schedule changes, the relay meets will probably bump back a week to accommodate the big name schools at their meets (i.e. Baylor, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Iowa St., Missouri @ Drake; Texas @ Penn). I am sure Drake is already planning this for next year.

Why did these conferences change their championship meet date? Speaking for the Big 12--MONEY. They (administration/coaches) did not want to pay many of their athletes that extra cash that they get for staying around after finals when they likely won't make it to regionals/nationals, but may make the conference team. Having it before finals, cancels out all that money.

As for peaking, it is a much better situation for the Big 12 schools to compete at conference early, then have four weeks to prepare their runners for regionals.

[gh]

Re: ’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

Thanks to the sharp-eyed reader who noted a glitch in my original premise where I said that Pac-10 was 3 weeks before Regionals. Actually, that's the weekend that the loop's multis are held (is there any other conference that splits the multis out by a week?). Pac-10 is really two weeks before, with SEC, Big 10 and IC4A. So other than the Big 12 (what's up with that?!), guess the Super Conference Weekend actually is pretty much intact.

[KevinM]

Re: ’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

I have two subjects do discuss with regards to regionals/conference:

1) I feel that in the near future we are going to see a downgrading of the IC4A meet, much as we have seen in cross country. With virtually all of the teams in the East running in their regular conference meets (Heps, Big East, etc) 1-3 weeks before IC4A/ECAC, the East Coast championships are likely to become a last chance meet for regionals, if nothing else, with many of the top kids in each event holding out rather than running 2 extra rounds.

2) For everyone but the regional qualifiers, you are going to see much shorter seasons for collegians. For Big 12 kids who don't qualify for regionals and don't intend on chasing times in later meets, the season is done in early May.

What do you think the trend will be? Will loop meets be de-emphasized (can't really happen for teams with AD's who want results)? Will coaches follow the model of ACC coaches, who have had to deal with a mid-April conference meet for years? It will be interesting to follow. Last year was a spectacular national meet -- let's hope it stays that way.

[Halfmiler2]

Re: ’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

The problem will be when Penn Relays falls back to April 30th in 2005 (it is always the last Saturday in April). At that point, Regionals will be a weekend closer to Penn and the IC4A's may be the meet that gets the squeeze.

In 2004, the league meets in the East can be held the first or second week after Penn, the IC4A is the third weekend after Penn, and the Regionals are two weeks after IC4A's.

In 2005, if Penn Relays stays put, there are four options:

1. Eastern league meets are one week after Penn, IC4A's are two weeks after Penn, and Regionals two weeks after IC4A's. I doubt coaches will go for this option.

2. Eastern league meets are one or two weeks after Penn, IC4A's are three weeks after Penn and Regionals are a week after IC4A's. I'd guess this would devastate the IC4A fields.

3. Either the Eastern league meets or the IC4A's move to April (as the ACC meet already is - in a warmer climate, of course), or

4. The Eastern league meets are during the two weeks after Penn, the Regionals are four weeks after Penn, and the IC4A's are the weekend between Regionals and Nationals. This is basically what has happened in cross-country. The IC4A becomes sort of like the NIT in Basketball, a runner-up season finale for athletes who do not make it tothe nationals.

I like the idea of Drake moving a week earlier even if not because of the Big 12. It avoids the direct conflict with Penn and I may be finally able to see a fine met in its own right.

[abinferno]

Re: ’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

The Big 12 was moved this year because of finals scheduling for many of the schools. The normal time period was right in the middle of too many finals.

[gh]

Re: ’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

>>I like the idea of Drake
>moving a week earlier even if not because of the Big 12. It avoids the direct
>conflict with Penn and I may be finally able to see a fine met in its own
>right.>>

Drake is a social event, not a track meet, and can't just jump all over the schedule. It's an integral part of the school's alumni weekend which happens the last weekend in April. It's not going to be moved just to satisfy a few rabid track fans. They'd still fill the stands if it went up against Regionals.

http://www.drakealumni.net/cgi-any/news ... eunion.htm

[Halfmiler2]

Re: ’04 Collegiate Schedule--Conferences Shift

I did not say they would move it for a few fans, just that it would be a happy result for us. But if the entire Big 12 will not go to it on the last weekend in April, they may not have much choice.