Question about the playoffs

[SDHornet]

Was this always 400 miles? For some reason I had 300 miles as the threshold.

it was 300 through the 2008 playoffs. It changed to 400 last year.

[danefan]

Thanks, danefan. Good to know. Is that the case during every game during the regular season as well? Or just the playoffs?

And another change I just noticed in this year's handbook:

Instant Replay
Instant replay will be used at each game of the quarterfinal, seimifinals and the 2011
NCAA Division I Football Championship Game.

Last year, Replay was used in the semifinals and finals, so it is nice to see it being expanded to the quarterfinals as well.

The ball shuffle is the case in the regular season as well.

The replay expansion is due to the ESPN coverage expansion. All quarterfinal games will now be televised (or at least on ESPN 27).

[JayJ79]

and yet another new addition to the handbook:

Sideline Equipment Hydration Program
The NCAA and Coca-Cola - a Corporate Champion supporting all NCAA championships
- will provide drinking cups, water coolers, ice chests, water (squeeze) bottles and cooler
carts for select rounds of the championship.
o This equipment shall be used for all championship practices and games.
o If your championship receives squeeze bottles, they should be provided to all studentathletes;
competitor squeeze bottles branded with logos and graphics of a Coca-Cola
competitor (e.g., Gatorade) brought by teams/student-athletes should not be allowed.
o NCAA and Coca-Cola will provide branded (e.g., Dasani, POWERADE, vitaminwater
revive) coolers and ice chests, that should be positioned in all areas, specifically on/
near the team benches/sidelines and in practice areas, locker rooms, student-athlete
hospitality areas and media areas (when applicable).
o On the sidelines, all product should be consumed out of the NCAA provided water
cups or water (squeeze) bottles only.
o The host institution/conference may retain the coolers, ice chests and any remaining
product after the competition.
If the NCAA and Coca-Cola do not provide the equipment (as defined above), the host
institution may use other items--those items, however, must be absent of any commercial
marks (e.g., logos and graphics) or such marks must be covered completely (this includes
all courtside, media areas or any other back-of-house areas).
At all final championship sites and select preliminary-round sites, Coca-Cola will provide
a bottled water product (e.g., Dasani or smartwater), POWERADE powder, and when
applicable, bottled isotonic products (e.g., POWERADE).
o The above referenced products must be made available in any/all areas (e.g., in the
locker rooms, in practice areas, student-athlete hospitality areas, etc.).
If a preliminary-round site does not receive Coca-Cola products via the NCAA and
Coca-Cola, hosts must still use Coca-Cola products (e.g., Dasani and POWERADE) for all
championship practices and games.
Competitors of NCAA Corporate Champion Coca-Cola may NOT provide beverage
products (sodas, water, isotonics) for any official NCAA championship event (e.g., studentathlete
banquet, committee tent/suite, etc.), even if a competitor to Coca-Cola offers product
for free or at a reduced cost.
o The championship budget will cover the purchase of Coca-Cola beverage products
that are needed (please use “unbudgeted disbursements”

the lovely corporate influences on the NCAA regulations....

[Knucklehead]

I'm glad I have the ears of the powers that be at the NCAA.

I feel your pain. haha. Look, we'll have to see how it plays out. But if LU wins out anything could happen. It would not shock me to see them with a bye, but it depends on what everyone else does from here on out and the political / bid process.