Posted on Wed, Apr. 30, 2008

ACC MEN'S BASKETBALL

Expanded schedule on ACC agenda

Proposed addition of 2 games aims to increase at-large NCAA bids

KEN TYSIAC

ktysiac@charlotteobserver.com

Amid concern over a lack of NCAA tournament at-large bids in two of the past three years, ACC athletics directors plan next month to discuss expanding the conference men's basketball schedule to 18 games.

ACC teams have played a 16-game conference schedule since 1991-92, when Florida State was added to the league. The Big East, Big Ten and Pac-10 played 18 conference games last season.

N.C. State athletics director Lee Fowler said the ACC needs to explore the possibility of joining them after the conference had the nation's top RPI ranking but just four NCAA tournament berths in 2008.

"We're the No. 1 RPI going in (before the tournament)," said Fowler, a former chair of the Division I men's basketball committee. "It concerns me that, that didn't get much weight and we only got four teams in. ... There's no question, it concerns me, and (ACC Commissioner) John Swofford, and everybody else."

The athletics directors are expected to discuss the issue at the conference's spring meetings, May 11-14 at Amelia Island, Fla. A year ago, they considered expanding to 18 conference games but shelved the idea because of strong opposition from the ACC's coaches.

Fowler and Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg suspect the coaches will again oppose an 18-game conference schedule. Coaches have been wary that 18 ACC games would make their schedule too challenging and would make them reluctant to schedule attractive nonconference games.

More conference games could pave the way for the ACC to ask for more money from TV rights holder Raycom Sports because the schedule would have more games that are attractive to advertisers. Raycom President and CEO Ken Haines said Tuesday that the ACC has not contacted him about this subject.

But Fowler said the big issue is getting more respect from the Division I men's basketball committee at selection time. In two of the past three years, just four of 12 ACC teams have been selected for the NCAA tournament.

The ACC's total of 19 NCAA tournament wins from 2006 to '08 is an all-time low for a three-year period since 1979-81, which was before the tournament expanded to 64 teams. The Big East, Pac-10 and Big Ten all play 18 conference games and got higher percentages of their members into the NCAA tournament in 2008.

Greenberg, whose Virginia Tech team was left out of the NCAA field despite a 9-7 ACC record, said coaches need to have open minds about 18 conference games.

"We've got to be smart enough to know what we don't know and see if we can find an answer," Greenberg said.

Jerry Palm of collegerpi.com said his studies have shown that playing 18 conference games hurts a conference's RPI. Palm is an expert on the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), a formula that includes won-loss record and strength of schedule used by the Division I men's basketball committee to compare candidates for the NCAA tournament.

"Going to two extra conference games has a general negative impact on RPI, because what usually happens is everybody takes two wins (over weaker opponents) off their schedule, so everybody's overall record is lower," Palm said.

But he said playing 18 conference games might have helped Virginia Tech in 2008. The Hokies didn't defeat a top-50 team until the ACC tournament, and their lack of top-50 wins was cited as a reason the Hokies were omitted from the NCAA field.

Virginia Tech didn't play home games against Clemson or North Carolina in 2008. Adding one or both would have given the Hokies an opportunity for at least one top-50 win.

"It could have been the difference for Virginia Tech in this particular case," Palm said. "But they'd also have probably two fewer nonconference wins."