Is Sweet 16 Saturday Format Working? You Bet Your Sweet Ace!
As we sit on the eve of the first state-wide Sweet 16 Saturday, it would be wise to revisit how we got to this point in the state playoff structure.
First, let’s clarify that Class A does not partake in this structure because – frankly – it makes zero sense to. With there being just 28 teams in Class A and with the class always been extremely top-heavy, the system of seven district champions and one wild card makes perfect sense. Each serpentine-seeded district has four teams and in the very rare case there is an upset, there is a wild card safety net out there for one team.
I don’t ever see the need – or desire by Class A – to change that system.
Class B is the pioneer of the current system. This came about – in large part – because of the ridiculous system where some districts were loaded with four ranked teams while others barely had one team with a winning record in it. Class B changed its system to the “substate” way about 5-ish years ago and with great success.
The only draw back I can see is that it took a lot of the importance out of winning the district when you have the eight district champions and eight wild cards advancing to the Sweet 16. That, however, is mitigated by the drama and balanced created with the new system. Now, in order for you to claim one of the eight spots at the state tournament, you’ve got to earn it with a quality victory. The result has been much better – and more competitive – state tournaments along with the improved environment for athletes that now get to play in Sweet 16 match.
In Classes C-1, C-2, D-1 and D-2, the old system was to have 12 subdistricts with those winners advancing to a district final. Those district final winners and two wild cards advanced to state. The issue was, the old system didn’t take into account the success of teams – only the geography – when putting together the districts. So, on an annual basis teams that were in the top five in their class in wild card points were being left at home for state because of the competitive imbalance while untested teams rolled into state and – generally – got throttled.
In those four classes now, the 12 geographical subdistricts remain – making sure the Sweet 16 field is representative of all corners of the state – and those winners join four wild cards. The big difference is that instead of subdistrict 1 and subdistrict 2 winners playing each other, and so on, the teams are reseeded based on NSAA wild card points after subdistricts. This produces a 1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, etc., format that balances out the talent level with the geographical representation.
But, in all reality, the important question is this: Is the new format working? You bet your sweet ace it is.
The Class B system has been in place for a handful of years and the results have been proof-positive that it is working in that class. This fall, the top 15 teams in the Class B NSAA wild card point totals are in the Sweet 16. That’s what you want – the best teams squaring off in a win-or-go-home atmosphere with a trip to state on the line.
What about the C and D classes, that are new to the party? It’s absolutely working for them as well. Here’s an indication of how.
In Class C-1, the top 14 teams in NSAA wild card point averages are in the Sweet 16 field and control their own destiny. In Class C-2, the top eight teams are all still alive. In Class D-1 it’s the top 12 teams that are all in the Sweet 16 and in Class D-2 it’s the top 14 teams.
In short, if you are even remotely considered a state-title contender, you get the chance to play a winner-take all match for the state tournament. Just like in Class B, that’s how it’s supposed to be.
But, what if the C and D classes were still using the old system. What would that look like this year? Well, put simply, it would be a disaster.
As mentioned before, in Class C-1 the top 14 teams in the NSAA wild card system are still alive. If Class C-1 was using the old system this year, you would have Lincoln Lutheran (#1 in wild card points) playing Syrcause (#6) in a district final and Grand Island Central Catholic (#5) would be facing St. Paul (#3) in a district final. Add to that the fact that Bishop Neumann (#6) was eliminated by Wahoo (#2) in subdistrict play and you can see that one of the top six teams in the class would be left out of state, despite the fact that there are two wild cards.
Meanwhile, you would have Class C-1 district finals like Omaha Concordia (#14) vs. West Point-Beemer (#36) with the winner going to state as well as Chadron (#10) taking on Ogallala (#13).
In no state tournament playoff format does it make sense to have four of the top six teams playing each other during – in essence – the round of 16 while four teams ranked #10 or higher playing each other.
It gets better (or worse, I should say) in Class C-2 if it was still using the old system. Under that old system, Doniphan-Trumbull (#7) and Battle Creek (#8) would already be eliminated from state. Thayer Central (#4) and Hastings St. Cecilia (#6) would be on the wild card bubble while South Loup (#10) and Bridgeport (#25) would be playing for a trip to state. That hardly seems right.
In Class D-1 under the old system, the season would already be over for #6 Diller-Odell. Why? Well, because #5 Nebraska Christian lost in a subdistrict in which it was paired against #3 Humphrey-Lindsay Holy Family. So, Nebraska Christian would already be ahead of Diller-Odell and there wouldn’t be another wild card available because – wiat for it – #1 Archbishop Bergan and #2 Johnson-Brock would be playing each other in a district final, meaning the loser of that match would have taken the other wild card.
So, ya, in the old system Diller-Odell could be having its end-of-season banquet this Saturday while #11 Hartington-Newcastle and #18 Elgin-Pope John played for a state berth. Instead, Diller-Odell will be playing Hartington-Newcastle for that coveted spot in Lincoln.
In Class D-2 under the old system, #5 Exeter-Milligan and #6 CWC would be on the wild card bubble and having to wait and see what happens while you had massive battles in district finals like #2 BDS against #8 Falls City Sacred Heart and #1 Ewing taking on #9 Kenesaw. Meanwhile, much-lower ranked teams in the NSAA wild card points would have a much easier path with #12 Bertrand taking on #16 Maywood-Hayes Center and #7 Cody-Kilgore facing #24 Garden County.
Ultimately, the NSAA and its member schools are really on to something with this Sweet 16 Saturday. What they’ve done is enhance the experience of playing sports for the teams that are taking part. Now, as an example, 16 teams in each class will get a chance to compete in a single match with a berth to state on the line. Previously, only 12 teams in each class would get that experience. That’s 20 more teams total across the state – roughly 300 more kids – that get to play in that environment. That’s a great thing.
And, ultimately, you’re allowing the teams to determine who most deserves the trip to state by letting them decide it on the court instead of in a excel spreadsheet. State tournament berths were never designed to be won based on a mathematical formula. They were designed to be won on the court.
That’s what Sweet 16 Saturday delivers.