Author Archives: Pat Coleman

Quality of Wins Index

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Same formula, different name.

Division III calling its power rating formula a “Strength of Schedule Index” was certainly misleading. It didn’t measure how strong the schedule was; it measured how a team did against that schedule. And even though we put a disclaimer on our listing of the index in large, bold type, it didn’t sink in with Division III fans.

But instead of fixing the formula, the championships committee will change the name. This year it will be called the Quality of Wins Index. It still won’t really accurately contribute toward discovering how good a team is, however, and since this is a major factor used in selecting and seeding NCAA playoff teams, it would be helpful if it did.

Here’s the problem — Continue reading →

Hmm, priorities

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Mac's new mascotYeah, ok … so your football program is struggling to put kids in uniform, and you just had to cancel the women’s basketball season for lack of student-athletes.

But hey, you have a brand-new mascot, Macalester. Congrats to the 38 football players and five women’s basketball players on the show of institutional support. I’m sure it’s comforting.

The football program bailed out of the MIAC after the 2001 season and there’s no return in sight. The women’s basketball program played just six games this past season — well, five and a half really. They won’t play in the MIAC this season either. Because it took so long to hire last year’s women’s basketball coach, she had no chance to recruit and was doomed to failure. And if the football coach can only get in 15 freshmen, like last year, what are the chances that program will get off the ground?

Great scot, Macalester — there’s a lot more that needs to be done before worrying about a new mascot.