The Loop

NCAA still exploring how to pick match-play lineups

January 06, 2010

I checked out the NCAA Men's Division I Championship Handbook earlier this week (you can download a PDF version of it by clicking here) and was a little surprised to see that on page 10 it said that once the final eight teams earn spots into the match-play bracket, the lineups will be determined by Golfstat ranking. My reason being that at last month's GCAA Convention in Las Vegas, a majority of coaches in a straw-poll vote said they preferred getting to pick their own lineup (adding another element of drama and coaching to the proceedings) rather than use the Golfstat ranking, as was the case last year. Since the convention ended Dec. 9 and the handbook was posted Dec. 14, I was curious why the men's D-I golf committee went in the direction it did.

According to NCAA assistant director of championships Donnie Wagner, the language in the 2010 handbook is, roughly speaking, a placeholder until a final decision by the D-I golf committee is made during a conference call the six members will be holding later this month.