MAAC Council of Presidents Approve Six-Team Championship Format
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. – The MAAC Council of Presidents spring meetings concluded Wednesday with a number of major issues announced, including support for NCAA Division I Restructuring, endorsement of league bylaws to accommodate ESPN3 school productions on the new ESPN3 MAAC Branded Channel, and a major expansion of selected MAAC team championships to a six-team bracket format.
The presidents also were briefed on the planning for the 2015 MAAC Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY including ticket pricing, sales plans, and VIP/Club seating sections. Also discussed were the MAAC’s Sports Graphics branding plan for the basketball championships including the new Horner MAAC playing floor.
The MAAC Committee on Athletic Administration’s major focus this academic year has been on a review of bracket size for MAAC team championships and maintenance of revenue flows to the league budget from championships operations. The MAAC championships, with expanded formats, will include baseball, softball, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball.
“The Council of Presidents supported the athletic administrator’s bracket proposal noting the expanded championship opportunities will provide a beneficial experience to student-athletes, help member institutions maintain and build competitive teams, and be advantageous to the recruitment of qualified students,” noted MAAC Commissioner, Rich Ensor. “The six-team format was used for baseball and softball this spring and it resulted in greater fan interest as teams competed to the last weekend of regular season play to qualify for the MAAC championship.”
It was noted that the primary focus of MAAC coaches and student-athletes is participation in MAAC championships and an opportunity to qualify for NCAA automatic bids, which this expanded format now provides to a wider group of qualifying teams.
The presidents also supported a change in the hosting of these championships, agreeing with the athletic administrator’s recommendation to move away from pre-determined sites. As a result:
-Championships will generally be played at highest/higher seed host sites.
-Higher/highest seeds can only opt out of hosting in the case of an extenuating circumstance such as a facility conflict.
-Any member school’s facility used for regular season is eligible to host post-season competition.
In reviewing NCAA Governance Restructuring, the Council of Presidents generally supported the work of the NCAA Steering Committee while offering specific suggestions on elements of the plan related to representation on the proposed Board of Directors. The Presidents agreed to support a revised BOD composition that allows seats for BCS ‘power 5’ conferences with the other 12 seats divided among the remaining 27 DI conferences on a rotational basis (including the non-major FBS conferences).
The MAAC agreed to support restructuring because it provides the ‘power 5’ conferences with autonomous governance authority in return for all 32 conferences having inclusion in Division I and continued association with the Division I brand. The support was conditioned on two basic principles, first, that the MAAC continue to receive access to NCAA championships for its teams as it is currently provided within Division I and second, that the NCAA revenue sharing continue as it is currently distributed within the division.
The MAAC’s partnership with ESPN continues to grow and was reinforced by the Council of Presidents decision to allow for school produced ESPN3 games to be accessed through the MAAC Branded ESPN3 Channel. ESPN announced the rollout of the branded channel this winter. The MAAC Marketing Committee conducted an in-depth review of the ESPN3 School Production proposal that was presented to the league. The Council approved the committee’s recommendations that MAAC ESPN3 School Productions be provided access to MAAC Branded ESPN3 Channel. ESPN3 School Productions must follow MAAC branding requirements as outlined in revised MAAC bylaws and the MAAC will relinquish certain marketing/advertising rights in return for schools funding these additional broadcasts.
“The presidents agreed that the ESPN3 opportunity can provide long-term benefits to the league and member schools,” notes Commissioner Ensor. “Over time, as schools invest in infrastructure and staffing, it could become an economically efficient solution to distribute live content, serve fans, and expand academic opportunities for students seeking hands on experience in broadcast productions and sports journalism.”
In other business the MAAC elected the following officers to two-year terms ending in June 2016:
-President – John Hurley, Canisius
-Vice President – Brennan O’Donnell, Manhattan
-Secretary/Treasurer – Richard Ensor, MAAC