Schedule Update: Pirates!

The Pirates Plank Blog hosted on NJ.com has picked up the news that Cornell will host Seton Hall during 2009-2010. Here is what Pirates Plank writes:

With next season's schedule months away from completion, the Ith[a]ca Journal is reporting Seton Hall will take to the road to play Cornell on November 20th. The game would be part of a home-and-home series with the Big Red, who have won the Ivy League for two consecutive years. The game gives the new core of Pirates the opportunity to play a decent opponent away from home, which is generally smiled upon by the NCAA Selection Committee, though the game does not give enough of an RPI benefit to make the risk worth it for most teams.

We expect this to be part of a larger trend. Two years ago, the NCAA changed the rules regarding pre-season college tournaments. Prior to the rule change, squads could only participate in two tournaments every four years. That was in place to prevent the same schools (i.e. Duke) from gaining an advantage by being invited to a tournament every year while others were shut out. Even though a team plays three games in these tournaments, they only count as one game against scheduling allowances. Under the rule change, teams are allowed to play in tournaments every year, which led to Seton Hall's participation in the Holiday Tournament hosted by BYU in 2007, and the Puerto Rico Shootout in 2008.

The new rule puts schools like Seton Hall in a bind. The Athletics Department now needs to schedule two more games than in prior years to avoid putting men's basketball at a disadvantage come selection time. However, the stable of willing opponents remains unchanged, leading to higher financial demands for a school such as Cornell to come to South Orange and take a beating. Hence, the home-and-home series allow the Hall to schedule home games without making the payoff.

Losing at Cornell would be a serious setback, and from a basketball perspective, we do not like the risk. However, the Athletics Dept is working with the situation presented to them, and it is Gonzo's job to ensure the team is ready for an early season test.