Tournament schedules....and it's a mess

Very frustrated to report that the new boys basketball playoff schedule has all four championships on the same day...with two games going on at the same time. This also applies to the night of the semifinal and quarterfinals.

For a site like ours it means it is impossible to cover all four games like we did last year and in previous years..even with a five person staff.

Why would they do this?

http://nhiaa.org/PDFs/4874/WinterTournamentDates201314.pdf

If that's the case then nhsportspage should have its own state title tournament with the 4 final four teams... Finally a true state champ.. It would be just what his state needs and the NHIAA should support such a great idea..

"Why would they do this".......my only answer would be because its New Hampshire and the NHIAA......I would also add they they (NHIAA) are going to lose money. I for one would have gone to both the Dll and DIll Championship which is now impossible because they play at the same time.....unbelievable! Why would they do this!

Certainly sucks for media folks who want to cover all the games. Even more so for fans and coaches who want to take in all the action across the state.

If the NHIAA is losing money on packed houses (which all of these games are) then somebody is doing something wrong.

I am at an utter loss of words over this....... And that's saying something.

One championship day, all the games in the same place, at a nicer venue. Centrally located for all.

What's the problem?

Things come in 3's so:

1) Bad news on Ship schedules.

2) Bad ending to Game 3 of World Series, if a Sox fan.

3) Potentially Bad start by Buchholz who now has built in excuse of sore shoulder ????

UpperValleyMom wrote:One championship day, all the games in the same place, at a nicer venue.  Centrally located for all.

What's the problem?

I think this is a suggestion you're making.  Agreed if it is.  Money factors in...

If anything it should be 2 locations not 3.  DI/DII at UNH is fine, DIII an DIV at SNHU or Plymouth.  Personally I think SNHU does the best job of all 3 of the venues but again - money.

If they had 2 locations they could offset the games, here's my proposed schedule after thinking about it for like 45 seconds:

Champ Week:

Tues:  DIV Semis at SNHU (5pm and 8pm)
Wed:  DII Semis at UNH (5pm and 8pm)
Thurs: DIII Semis at SNHU (5pm and 8pm)
FRI: DI Semis at UNH (5pm and 8pm)
Sat: DIV Title Game: 3pm at SNHU
Sat: DIII Title Game: 6pm at SNHU
Sun: DII Title game: 3pm at UNH
Sun: DI Title game 6pm at UNH

Boom. Done.  

With this schedule you could actually do it all at one venue if you really wanted to.  I suppose availability is an issue as well as cost but if you plan ahead it might work. Would be nice for our states higher learning institutions to help make this affordable for the NHIAA considering the students that will one day grace their dorms and classrooms will both be playing and in attendance.

Not that I disagree everything should be done in one day... However, I believe the week the NHIAA gets at UNH coincides with Spring Break. The "chaos" of having students returning the same day as NHIAA playoffs are occurring (Sunday) is probably a mitigating factor in not using Sunday. Things could have changed since I was there, but the lot used for parking is also a student parking lot...

All "we" see in this is the ease for us to attend multiple games; however, the logistics of actually running these events by the schools is probably quite a challenge, especially since some of their free help (eg, students on work study jobs) are off sunning and drinking somewhere.

Of course it would be nice if the NHIAA released a statement regarding the logic of their decision for this years venue's. The transparency might actually help people understand the decisions.

JAF wrote:Of course it would be nice if the NHIAA released a statement regarding the logic of their decision for this years venue's.  The transparency might actually help people understand the decisions.

Agree with all your factors you stated - but also think they can be overcome with the proper amount of effort from those involved. We've inquired with the NHIAA on your last point here, still awaiting an "official" response.

Also look below... the Division I, II & III Hockey Championships are the same day at Verizon Wireless Arena, as well the Girls Ice Hockey Final.  Arghh!!!  This is brutal!

So the NHIAA responded basically saying the schedule was a week off this year and there was limited availability at those venues so their hands were tied.

I've had a few coaches weigh in on this to me directly and several have suggested a single venue, but that can be tough for northern teams who have historically been resilient to driving South.  Some teams could have a 4 hr drive South if you talk about doing the Semis/Finals at Verizon or SNHU or even UNH.

Another good point brought up to me by a Coach this morning was the lack of quality officials.  This means with a 3 official staff and 1 backup there are 16 officials spread out over the state.  This particular (DIV) coach felt the best officials would be at UNH leaving whoever was left over for the other games.

Maine manages to make this happen and they are a bigger state then us.

I get that drive thing for the DIV schools - who wants their kids out on the road from 10P -> 2A? Of course that's not every D4 school, but still.

Perhaps the NHSP can make a deal with the UL - you guys do the D1/D2 finals over in Durham and they cover the D3/D4 finals since those are closer to Manchvegas

Haha...yea...the UL would LOVE to make that deal with us...  

That coach is inferring that there aren't 16 "quality" officials in the state? Really?

Excuse me Eliot, but the point your coach made about lack of quality officials is an "ill advised" one. This coach loses credibility also because there are no "backup" officials in a tournament game with 3 man crews. When a 3 man crew works a tournament game a 4th official is NOT scheduled. "Your coach" is getting confused with college playoff games or just doesn't know the set up for high school playoff games. Given this, his point there are lack of quality officials in tournament games, is an invalid one.

It's not invalid.. it's a very valid concern. The first few rounds of the tournament NH hoop will suffer. I wonder if the NHIAA will be able to get enough Official with all the Divisions playing at the same time.  Just under 100 refs needed for the first round? There's not more than 25% qualified to do these very important early round games.

I to am concerned about how they will staff this cluster beep DIII and IV will get the short stick. If this tournament schedule is changing this drastically then coach's should be  concerned. Coaches credibility in question over a very Valid concern??  Excuse me T and F but it's "I'll advise" for you to think there will be enough qualified official..

Scott, you are barking up the wrong argument tree. Eliot's post and mine are talking about the championship games on Championship Saturday. He's talking about the misconception of 16 officials being spread amongst the 4 state title games with the misnomer that 4 officials are scheduled with a "backup" for each game which is 100% false. This is the point I'm arguing about. Eliot was talking about 16 officials = 4 games (State title games in D1 to D4) in his mind, not hundreds of official for prelims which is what you're talking about.

You might want to rethink which argument tree you're barking on with concern to my post

You can tell Basketball season is right around the corner. T&F is fired up already.

 Either way it's a valid concern. 12 officials the final day or 50 officials the 1st day of the tourney.  The coach shouldn't lose credibility for expressing concern about  the unknowns of this new venue. I though u where speechless?  How will they schedule the officials with 32 First round games in the first days? The 4 finals game shouldn't be as hard.   RUF RUF RRR:

I was speechless until misinformation was posted on the site

Scott - they use darts.... ah just kidding don't need the wrath of t&f this early in the season   

The process of selecting playoff officials is complex - there certainly is an attempt to ensure the better officials are working those games. Who's better is naturally in the eye of the beholder. Is there a bias towards putting the A+ level officials in a D1 game vs. a D4 game - I would say that's a truism. It's just a fact of life that D1 is perceived to have greater need than D4... Don't forget about boys vs. girls too. It's not a "perfect process". There are "some" coaches that don't like to see the Manchester area (eg mostly D1) officials in their D3/D4 game as they feel the style of game play allowed is shall we say more physical than perhaps what they are accustomed to. Additionally if you're an A+ official and you know the choice is assign you to a D1 or D4 game - which do you think the official wants? I'll agree both games are no less important to the players and coaches involved, but it is natural to want that (perceptually) more important D1 game. Again, there is no perfect solution. It's a fine line to walk...

Thanks JAF,   It is what it is. Doesn't make it right though. NHIAA WAS organized to make sure that it doesn't matter what school you go to but that fair and equal opportunity for NH student Athletes would be enforced. Maybe not word for word. T and F will let me know..the Official that thinks he's to good for DIV is a egomaniac and shouldn't be doing any games. I think you are right on with all of it. The line seems to be blurred. 
So do we have enough Official for the girl and boys New venue? That's a lot of official for the early round games.

And there are coaches that wouldn't ever consider coaching at a D4 school if they'd been at a D1 school... So those D4 schools may not get the very best coaches - is that fair? Not trying to generalize either "profession", btw...

NHIAA is in charge of the officials, and what playoff games they do. The school's that earn these playoffs spots all deserve equality and impartial officiating. Even a bad coach that gets to the tournament deserves qualified officials.
Is there enough qualified officials for the new venue? Girls and boys. Our student athletes in NH deserve impartial qualified officials in the tourney.   other than so many good game being played at the same time. Having enough Officials is the biggest issue for the NHIAA to have a successful event. I hope it works out for the Athletes That work so hard to get there.
Is there enough refs?