Non-revenue college sports thread

SoxJox

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Dec 22, 2003
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Rock > SoxJox < Hard Place
You'll never win hitting .142. ;)
And I have no idea what that means. Other than it isn't good, I think.
Hitting percentage and kills are different animals. So let's get that out of the way first.

Hitting percentage is calculated by totaling kills, subtracting hitting errors, then dividing that number by the total number of attempts.

A general rule of thumb is .300 as a team is above average, although the various positions are expected to differ. For example, middle blockers should have the highest hitting percentage (generally .400 - .500).

.200 is average

.100 is actually only slightly below average.

I wouldn't say you'd never win with .142, but you likely will not have a winning record.
 
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edoug

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Jul 15, 2005
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Hitting percentage and kills are different animals. So let's get that out of the way first.

Hitting percentage is calculated by totaling kills, subtracting hitting errors, then dividing that number by the total number of attempts.

A general rule of thumb is .300 is above average, although the various positions are expected to differ. For example, middle blockers should have the highest hitting percentage (generally .400 - .500).

.200 is average

.100 is actually only slightly below average.

I wouldn't say you'd never win with .142, but you likely will not have a winning record.
Thanks, I did think hitting percentage had to to with kills and didn't know if was low or not.
 
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Awesome Fossum

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Jul 20, 2005
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jezza1918

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Jul 19, 2005
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So the NCAA is covering itself in glory and has revoked a conference title from the UMASS Women's tennis team due to a $252 clerical error. There was a good article on it in the globe yesterday but since that is paywalled here is a version from Front Office Sports - https://frontofficesports.com/umass-womens-tennis-fighting-ncaa/
Quick summary - UMass ASKED the NCAA to look into some potential infractions, and through the course of that investigation found out the school had given out $9,100 in scholarship money that shouldn't have been given out ($252 to two Women's Tennis players, the rest to Men's Basketball players). They were deemed inelgible, and stripped of wins...including the A10 title the Women's tennis team won in 2017, Coach Judy Dixon's final season. She was a pioneer for Women in many ways and was involved in one of the first major Title IX lawsuits while at Yale.
...even Senator Chris Murphy tweeted about it -
View: https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1319815511451045889?s=20

edit: I have known one of the players mentioned for awhile now, and she started a petition - I'd be remiss not to at least mention it here - https://www.change.org/p/ncaa-support-a10-champion-umass-women-s-tennis-vs-the-ncaa
 

jezza1918

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Jul 19, 2005
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So the NCAA is covering itself in glory and has revoked a conference title from the UMASS Women's tennis team due to a $252 clerical error. There was a good article on it in the globe yesterday but since that is paywalled here is a version from Front Office Sports - https://frontofficesports.com/umass-womens-tennis-fighting-ncaa/
Quick summary - UMass ASKED the NCAA to look into some potential infractions, and through the course of that investigation found out the school had given out $9,100 in scholarship money that shouldn't have been given out ($252 to two Women's Tennis players, the rest to Men's Basketball players). They were deemed inelgible, and stripped of wins...including the A10 title the Women's tennis team won in 2017, Coach Judy Dixon's final season. She was a pioneer for Women in many ways and was involved in one of the first major Title IX lawsuits while at Yale.
...even Senator Chris Murphy tweeted about it -
View: https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1319815511451045889?s=20

edit: I have known one of the players mentioned for awhile now, and she started a petition - I'd be remiss not to at least mention it here - https://www.change.org/p/ncaa-support-a10-champion-umass-women-s-tennis-vs-the-ncaa
If anyone wants to get a recap of this story a bit more flushed out, one of the players (who started the petition) has been on some pods recently and SI's Jon Wertheim had her on today's pod starting around the 25:30 mark. Story has been tweeted by Dick Vitale, Brad Gilbert, Barstool, and even mentioned on yesterday's Pardon My Take so maybe the NCAA actually takes a look at it.
 

scottyno

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Dec 7, 2008
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It's a dumb punishment that fits a minor error, most if not all of the students involved at the time are long gone, their college careers are long over, the ncaa saying you didn't actually win the games that you know you won changes nothing
 

jezza1918

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It's a dumb punishment that fits a minor error, most if not all of the students involved at the time are long gone, their college careers are long over, the ncaa saying you didn't actually win the games that you know you won changes nothing
So in a way I agree with you, it doesn't take away the memories that team has of winning the title and specifically that moment in time when they won the last point and clinched the birth to the NCAA tourney. That said, I can honestly say as a former D1 athlete that wasnt part of a team that won but did win a couple of A10 awards, and a D3 coach of a Women's team that won five straight conference titles if any of those things were stripped from me or my players it would be difficult to deal with. And that's to say nothing of the harm it can bring to the program - the UMass team has had 2 of their top 3 recruiting classes ever since they won the 2017, the punishment will undoubtedly make it more difficult to recruit in the short term due to A. since so many don't read past the headline all people see is the fact that they were stripped of a title via NCAA punishment, putting the coach on the immediate defensive with recruits and their families; and B. they can't advertise a (somewhat) recent conference title. I think they fact that the alums involved are really pushing back has helped frame the narrative in a more positive light though, and that should help mitigate that aspect of things. Finally, just principal wise I'm glad they are pushing back as it's gaining some momentum as hopefully shining a brighter light how just how hypocritical the NCAA is.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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The Ivy League has cancelled spring sports.
Oh man that blows. I don't understand how different conferences feel so differently about this. It's not any safer for Providence College to run track than it is for Brown University to run track. Conversely, it's not any more dangerous for Brown to run track than for PC to run track.

I feel so bad for these athletes who have had their careers just blown up.
 

VORP Speed

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Ground Zero
The handwriting was on the wall for quite awhile. They did temporarily lift the ban on grad students participating in athletics, though, so kids can stick around to use their final year of eligibility, if they really want.
 

Average Reds

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Oh man that blows. I don't understand how different conferences feel so differently about this. It's not any safer for Providence College to run track than it is for Brown University to run track. Conversely, it's not any more dangerous for Brown to run track than for PC to run track.

I feel so bad for these athletes who have had their careers just blown up.
I agree with the bolded, but for reasons that I suspect are the opposite of yours.

I erased a large post about this topic, because it felt like going down a rabbit hole for no good purpose. I will say that the only reason that college athletics hasn't been shut down entirely during the pandemic is that major conferences/schools need to maintain the viability of their various cable networks and/or agreements. (Which seems more than a little obscene.) The Ivy League has no such conflict, so they are free to do the right thing without regard to the future value of a non-related business entity.

I will admit to hypocrisy, as I am greatly enjoying Big 10 basketball this winter. It is what it is.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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I agree with the bolded, but for reasons that I suspect are the opposite of yours.

I erased a large post about this topic, because it felt like going down a rabbit hole for no good purpose. I will say that the only reason that college athletics hasn't been shut down entirely during the pandemic is that major conferences/schools need to maintain the viability of their various cable networks and/or agreements. (Which seems more than a little obscene.) The Ivy League has no such conflict, so they are free to do the right thing without regard to the future value of a non-related business entity.

I will admit to hypocrisy, as I am greatly enjoying Big 10 basketball this winter. It is what it is.
I’m in a tough spot on this. My family and I have been very good about taking precautions not only for our sake but for others. But I work with college athletes and my daughter is one. She lost her junior year to a torn ACL and this year could lose it because of Covid. It’s incredibly painful for these student-athletes to lose out on their dreams - they’ve worked so hard their whole lives to achieve this and it’s being denied them. Obviously Covid is impacting us all in major ways but only people who have never been involved in sports think that these students should be able to simply shrug and brush this off. It’s a tremendous loss for them.

So of course I want people to be safe. I also want people to get the chance to play. I coach high school volleyball and schools have realized how important it is to have these kids participate because they are observing huge mental health issues. It extends up to college too.

So yes obviously Covid is a real health crisis. But so is taking away all these things from these kids.

The whole thing is a frigging mess.

I don’t know what the “right” thing to do is. I just feel terrible for these athletes is all.
 

RedOctober3829

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Jul 19, 2005
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deep inside Guido territory
I agree with the bolded, but for reasons that I suspect are the opposite of yours.

I erased a large post about this topic, because it felt like going down a rabbit hole for no good purpose. I will say that the only reason that college athletics hasn't been shut down entirely during the pandemic is that major conferences/schools need to maintain the viability of their various cable networks and/or agreements. (Which seems more than a little obscene.) The Ivy League has no such conflict, so they are free to do the right thing without regard to the future value of a non-related business entity.

I will admit to hypocrisy, as I am greatly enjoying Big 10 basketball this winter. It is what it is.
Athletics is going on safely. I work very closely with our athletes and the athletic facilities are the safest places on campus because of the stringent testing we all go through. I don't agree with having fans in the buildings right now, but in terms of on the field/ice/etc. it's the safest place to be.
 

Average Reds

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Athletics is going on safely. I work very closely with our athletes and the athletic facilities are the safest places on campus because of the stringent testing we all go through. I don't agree with having fans in the buildings right now, but in terms of on the field/ice/etc. it's the safest place to be.
I was making a slightly different point. College athletics can go on safely. The question is whether they should.

Your school has made the decision to play and I salute you and others for ensuring that they are conducted safely.
 

Coachster

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Jul 3, 2009
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I think the Ivy League could cancel athletics because, in addition to their not having onerous cable deals, their student-athletes are less likely to take a semester/ year off.

Our little D-III is in the only conference in New England still competing (although more than half the schools have opted out, because of COVID infections, or because they couldn't or wouldn't pay for the testing protocols the conference calls for.) We're testing twice a week, and although we're a fall sport, we have a spring conference schedule beginning in the middle of March.

It seems like simple economics to me. If we cancelled sports, how many of our 350 student-athletes would opt out of in-person instruction completely? We're already bleeding 'regular' students, so it seems attempting to run a spring (and non-traditional) fall is the only choice for small colleges like us, other than furlough and layoffs.
 
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SoxJox

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Dec 22, 2003
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Rock > SoxJox < Hard Place
Unfortunately for most others, Penn State has once again ushered in a crop of young, capable grapplers. Too bad the 2/12 match vs. Iowa was postponed. Penn State meets Maryland on Monday, so maybe there's a chance they can squeeze it in before the B1G championships begin 3/6.
 

terrynever

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Unfortunately for most others, Penn State has once again ushered in a crop of young, capable grapplers. Too bad the 2/12 match vs. Iowa was postponed. Penn State meets Maryland on Monday, so maybe there's a chance they can squeeze it in before the B1G championships begin 3/6.
Not sure if either side wants to wrestle a dual-meet so close to tournament season. Familiarity issues. Injury potential.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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Oct 31, 2013
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BC (Women's) Lacrosse entering their 4th straight NCAA Championship Game appearance today. Hopefully they can win this one (vs. Syracuse). Big upsets Friday to get there when BC took down 20-0 #1 UNC (who had beaten them 21-9 earlier in the season), and Syracuse beat 15-0 #2 Northwestern. Noon ESPNU.
 

Ale Xander

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Oct 31, 2013
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Charlotte North pots 101 on the season. NCAA record. BC holds 4 goal lead with 16:30 left.

/knocks on wood


Decent weekend by Dookies transferring to Boston.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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Oct 31, 2013
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Cheap shot by Orange to the BC goalie Rachel Hall. We're getting close to a Natty, finally.

And then a DOG foul with 2:09 left SU down 5.

BC going 6 corners

Up 6 after the ENG

BC doesn't go the Western NY route (Bills)

Congrats to Acacia, Sam and the rest of the staff and the team.

A dynasty is commencing?
 
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Kremlin Watcher

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Sep 20, 2005
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Texas wins women's rowing. This season we have won men's swimming, women's tennis, now rowing, made the elite eight in women's basketball, are #2 in baseball, top 10 in softball, #3 in women's swimming, top ten in men's tennis and golf. Del Conte getting it done in those areas.

Now if we could only fix football and basketball.
 

LeftyTG

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Jul 18, 2005
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women's volleyball finished national runner up. Men's and Women's track won the Big 12 in both indoors and outdoors conference championships. Women's golf finished #5 in the country and went to the wire during stroke play losing to the eventual national champion. Men's tennis lost in the national semi finals. Men's golf is still in the hunt (though is in a fight to qualify for match play as I type).

Football and men's basketball have new coaches and need to get on track. Really, the only outlier in the athletic department is women's soccer.

It was an insanely difficult year with COVID, but my wife is really proud of the work she and her co-workers have all done at UT athletics this year.
 

Kremlin Watcher

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women's volleyball finished national runner up. Men's and Women's track won the Big 12 in both indoors and outdoors conference championships. Women's golf finished #5 in the country and went to the wire during stroke play losing to the eventual national champion. Men's tennis lost in the national semi finals. Men's golf is still in the hunt (though is in a fight to qualify for match play as I type).

Football and men's basketball have new coaches and need to get on track. Really, the only outlier in the athletic department is women's soccer.

It was an insanely difficult year with COVID, but my wife is really proud of the work she and her co-workers have all done at UT athletics this year.
Huge kudos to your wife and her colleagues. I get the sense that the atmosphere at Bellmont has improved since Dodds and Patterson left.

Hook 'em.
 

canderson

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Jul 16, 2005
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Texas wins women's rowing. This season we have won men's swimming, women's tennis, now rowing, made the elite eight in women's basketball, are #2 in baseball, top 10 in softball, #3 in women's swimming, top ten in men's tennis and golf. Del Conte getting it done in those areas.

Now if we could only fix football and basketball.
It’s coming …
 

LeftyTG

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Huge kudos to your wife and her colleagues. I get the sense that the atmosphere at Bellmont has improved since Dodds and Patterson left.

Hook 'em.
It is hard to underestimate what a complete and total disaster the Patterson hire was, pretty much from Day 1. CDC isn't perfect and had some missteps around the EOT drama and some self inflicted wounds with the handling of Herman's job situation, but he is a competent administrator who correctly understands the importance of coaches, and he is genuinely a people person. I've met him several times and seen him in action, and he is very good with people. Patterson...was not.
 

Humphrey

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I didn't realize they're actually using the Rent for the Men's Lax Championship.
Was surprised they played it on grass; don't most major programs play on turf; the (outdoor) season starting in February being perhaps the biggest reason for that.