It's getting to be late October, and conference play is well underway across the nation. Of the 24 conferences, 21 decide their auto bid via conference tournament. Of those 21 conferences, 6 allow all schools to participate. The remaining 15 conferences have formats in which at least one school is eliminated through conference play. Thus begins this year's conference tourney "Clinched/Eliminated" thread. Here's where we are so far... AMERICA EAST (6 of 8 advance) Clinched: New Hampshire ASUN (6 of 7 advance) Clinched: FGCU, Stetson, North Florida, NJIT BIG SOUTH (6 of 9 advance) Clinched: Campbell, High Point COLONIAL (6 of 9 advance) Clinched: UNCW, James Madison CONF USA (6 of 8 advance) Clinched: FIU, Charlotte, Marshall NORTHEAST (4 of 10 advance) Eliminated: Central Connecticut Ineligible: Merrimack (I think) PATRIOT (6 of 10 advance) Clinched: Lehigh SUMMIT (4 of 6 advance) Clinched: Oral Roberts
Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019 additions ATLANTIC 10 (8 of 13 advance) Clinched: Rhode Island Eliminated: St. Bonaventure BIG EAST (6 of 10 advance) Clinched: Georgetown
In a quick look, UC Irvine is in even if all three top teams lose both their remaining games. In that highly unlikely but mathematically possible scenario, Cal Poly would finish first with 15 points, Fullerton perhaps second with 12, and then a 4-way tie at 10 points, with Irvine one of the survivors. I'm going bowling now (Senior Thursday - 3 games plus shoes for $9.50) and I will work it all out later (unless someone beats me to it).
It was ultra-low tide, so I went for a long walk on the beach in Oceanside instead of bowling. If any of the top 3 teams (UCSB, Davis, Irvine) gets a tie or win in their remaining 2 conference games, they are in the tournament. However, if all three lose both games, and Riverside loses both of theirs, that would give us Cal Poly 15 Fullerton 12 5-way tie at 10, one of whom would be out Riverside 4
You passed up a night at Surf Bowl? Two games, two eliminations tonight: PAC-12 (regular-season champion earns auto bid) Eliminated: San Diego State, UCLA
Senior bowling is mid-day when the place is mostly empty. I don't know why they bother to keep the lights and A/C on most days. My daughter and I used to have a game called "money laundry" where we would identify a business that stayed open despite an apparent lack of business. That had its origin in an accountant I knew who worked at a large expensive hotel after he explained to me the value of empty rooms and phantom clients.
Working out the hypothetical 5-way tie UCSB Davis tie, Irvine loss, CSUN loss, Sac State win - 1-2-1 = 4 Davis UCSB tie, Irvine loss, CSUN win, Sac State loss - 1-2-1 = 4 Irvine UCSB win, Davis win, CSUN loss, Sac State tie - 2-1-1 = 7 CSUN UCSB win, Davis win, Irvine win, Sac State loss - 3-1-0 = 9 Sac State UCSB loss, Davis win, Irvine tie, CSUN win - 2-1-1 = 7 That makes CSUN third seed in the tournament. Recasting the tie breakers among the 4 remaining -- UCSB Davis tie, Irvine loss, Sac State win - 1-1-1 = 4 Davis UCSB tie, Irvine loss, Sac State loss - 0-2-1 = 1 Irvine UCSB win, Davis win, Sac State tie - 2-0-1 = 7 Sac State UCSB loss, Davis win, Irvine tie - 1-1-1 = 4 Irvine grabs fourth spot. Again with three - UCSB Davis tie, Sac State win - 1-0-1 = 4 Davis UCSB tie, Sac State loss - 0-1-1 = 1 Sac State UCSB loss, Davis win - 1-1-0 = 3 UCSB fifth seed, and Sac State sixth with the hypothetical win over Davis. Davis and Riverside out.
Through games of Oct. 26, 2019 AMERICA EAST (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: New Hampshire Clinched Saturday: Vermont AMERICAN ATHLETIC (6 of 8 advance) Clinched Saturday: UCF ASUN (6 of 7 advance) Clinched prior: FGCU, Stetson, North Florida, NJIT Clinched Saturday: Lipscomb ATLANTIC 10 (8 of 13 advance) Clinched prior: Rhode Island Clinched Saturday: Saint Louis, VCU, Dayton, Fordham Eliminated prior: St. Bonaventure Eliminated Saturday: Saint Joseph's BIG EAST (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Georgetown Clinched Saturday: St. John's BIG SOUTH (6 of 9 advance) Clinched prior: Campbell, High Point Clinched Saturday: Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian BIG WEST (6 of 8 advance) Clinched Saturday: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly COLONIAL (6 of 9 advance) Clinched prior: UNCW, James Madison Clinched Saturday: Hofstra, Northeastern, William & Mary CONF USA (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: FIU, Charlotte, Marshall METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC Clinched Saturday: Saint Peter's NORTHEAST (4 of 10 advance) Eliminated prior: Central Connecticut Ineligible: Merrimack (I think) PAC-12 (regular-season champion earns auto bid) Eliminated prior: San Diego State, UCLA PATRIOT (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Lehigh Clinched Saturday: Loyola Maryland SUMMIT (4 of 6 advance) Clinched prior: Oral Roberts Clinched Saturday: Western Illinois, Omaha
Through games of Oct. 27, 2019 AMERICA EAST (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: New Hampshire, Vermont AMERICAN ATHLETIC (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: UCF Clinched Sunday: Memphis, SMU, Temple ASUN (6 of 7 advance) Clinched prior: FGCU, Stetson, North Florida, NJIT, Lipscomb ATLANTIC 10 (8 of 13 advance) Clinched prior: Rhode Island, Saturday: Saint Louis, VCU, Dayton, Fordham Eliminated prior: St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's BIG EAST (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Georgetown, St. John's BIG SOUTH (6 of 9 advance) Clinched prior: Campbell, High Point, Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian BIG WEST (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly COLONIAL (6 of 9 advance) Clinched prior: UNCW, James Madison, Hofstra, Northeastern, William & Mary CONF USA (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: FIU, Charlotte, Marshall Clinched Sunday: Kentucky HORIZON (6 of 10 advance) Clinched Sunday: UIC METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC Clinched prior: Saint Peter's NORTHEAST (4 of 10 advance) Clinched Sunday: Saint Francis (Pa.) Eliminated prior: Central Connecticut Eliminated Sunday: Sacred Heart Ineligible: Merrimack (I think) PAC-12 (regular-season champion earns auto bid) Eliminated prior: San Diego State, UCLA PATRIOT (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Lehigh, Loyola Maryland SUMMIT (4 of 6 advance) Clinched prior: Oral Roberts, Western Illinois, Omaha WESTERN ATHLETIC (7 of 12 advance) Clinched Sunday: Seattle
GauchoDan: thanks for this, one of the most useful threads in this College Soccer section. More entertaining reading: you spoil us !
Through games of Oct. 30, 2019 AMERICA EAST (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: New Hampshire, Vermont AMERICAN ATHLETIC (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: UCF, Memphis, SMU, Temple ASUN (6 of 7 advance) Clinched prior: FGCU, Stetson, North Florida, NJIT, Lipscomb ATLANTIC 10 (8 of 13 advance) Clinched prior: Rhode Island, Saturday: Saint Louis, VCU, Dayton, Fordham Eliminated prior: St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's BIG EAST (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Georgetown, St. John's BIG SOUTH (6 of 9 advance) Clinched prior: Campbell, High Point, Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian BIG WEST (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly COLONIAL (6 of 9 advance) Clinched prior: UNCW, James Madison, Hofstra, Northeastern, William & Mary CONF USA (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: FIU, Charlotte, Marshall, Kentucky HORIZON (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: UIC METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC (6 off 11 advance) Clinched prior: Saint Peter's (clinched the #1 seed Wednesday) Eliminated Wednesday: Canisius, Monmouth MISSOURI VALLEY (all 6 advance) Missouri State clinched the #1 seed Wednesday NORTHEAST (4 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Saint Francis (Pa.) Eliminated prior: Central Connecticut, Sacred Heart Ineligible: Merrimack (I think) PAC-12 (regular-season champion earns auto bid) Eliminated prior: San Diego State, UCLA PATRIOT (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Lehigh, Loyola Maryland SUMMIT (4 of 6 advance) Clinched prior: Oral Roberts, Western Illinois, Omaha WEST COAST (regular-season champion earns auto bid) Eliminated Wednesday: San Francisco WESTERN ATHLETIC (7 of 12 advance) Clinched prior: Seattle
PAC-12 (regular-season champion earns auto bid) Eliminated prior: San Diego State, UCLA Eliminated Thursday: California Also, VMI is assured of the #7 seed for the Southern Conference tournament.
San Diego and Pacific, both with 3 points and 3 games remaining, are eliminated because St. Mary''s and LMU, both with 12 points, still have a game with one another. San Diego's season really took a nose dive after conference play started.
Updated Northeast Conference information (I had the wrong number of total games in conference play, and the formula was clinching and eliminating teams too quickly): Clinched Friday: LIU Eliminated prior: Central Connecticut Ineligible: Merrimack
ATLANTIC COAST SEEDS 1 Clemson 2 Virginia 3 Wake Forest 4 Pittsburgh 5 NC State 6 Louisville 7 North Carolina 8 Notre Dame 9 Boston College 10 Syracuse 11 Virginia Tech 12 Duke
Through games of Nov. 1, 2019 AMERICA EAST (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: New Hampshire, Vermont Clinched Friday: Albany (N.Y.) AMERICAN ATHLETIC (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: UCF, Memphis, SMU, Temple Clinched Friday: South Florida ASUN (6 of 7 advance) Clinched prior: FGCU, Stetson, North Florida, NJIT, Lipscomb ATLANTIC 10 (8 of 13 advance) Clinched prior: Rhode Island, Saturday: Saint Louis, VCU, Dayton, Fordham Eliminated prior: St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's BIG EAST (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Georgetown, St. John's BIG SOUTH (6 of 9 advance) Clinched prior: Campbell, High Point, Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian BIG WEST (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly COLONIAL (6 of 9 advance) Clinched prior: UNCW, James Madison, Hofstra, Northeastern, William & Mary CONF USA (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: FIU, Charlotte, Marshall, Kentucky HORIZON (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: UIC METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC (6 off 11 advance) Clinched prior: Saint Peter's (1) Eliminated prior: Canisius, Monmouth MISSOURI VALLEY (all 6 advance) Seeding: Missouri State (1) NORTHEAST (4 of 10 advance) Clinched Friday: Saint Francis (Pa.), LIU, Bryant Eliminated prior: Central Connecticut Ineligible: Merrimack PAC-12 (regular-season champion earns auto bid) Eliminated prior: San Diego State, UCLA PATRIOT (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Lehigh, Loyola Maryland SOUTHERN (all 7 advance) Seeding: VMI (7) SUMMIT (4 of 6 advance) Clinched prior: Oral Roberts, Western Illinois, Omaha WEST COAST (regular-season champion earns auto bid) Eliminated prior: San Francisco, San Diego, Pacific WESTERN ATHLETIC (7 of 12 advance) Clinched prior: Seattle Eliminated Friday: Incarnate Word, Grand Canyon
Rough to see UCLA struggle. So much going for it. The SoCal talent pipeline and no USC to compete against for players.
Much! But I wasn't thinking just about Duke in last place, the obvious highlight. I see Pitt and NC State surprisingly high, with Louisville, Carolina and Notre Dame surprisingly mediocre.
11/2, 3:00 pm EST update BIG EAST (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Georgetown, St. John's Eliminated Saturday: Villanova IVY (regular-season champion earns auto bid) Eliminated Saturday: Harvard, Columbia METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC (6 off 11 advance) Clinched prior: Saint Peter's (1) Clinched Saturday: Iona, Quinnipiac Eliminated prior: Canisius, Monmouth PATRIOT (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Lehigh, Loyola Maryland Eliminated Saturday: Holy Cross
11/2, 4:00 pm EST update AMERICA EAST (6 of 8 advance) Clinched prior: New Hampshire, Vermont, Albany (N.Y.) Eliminated Saturday: UMBC METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC (6 off 11 advance) Clinched prior: Saint Peter's (1) Clinched Saturday: Iona, Quinnipiac Eliminated prior: Canisius, Monmouth Eliminated Saturday: Siena PATRIOT (6 of 10 advance) Clinched prior: Lehigh, Loyola Maryland Eliminated Saturday: Holy Cross