NCAA Regional - Softball

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The ladies are on pace to host a Regional. AUsome!

Who knows how Regionals work, tickets, cost, etc?

It's set for May 14-17th (Th-Sun)

Found some details:

http://www.ncaa.com/championships/softball/d1/road-to-the-championship

Selections are announced May 10

[AU64 10,122]

NCAA wants top teams but they also want a good facility and big crowds. The AU support during the UT series has to help us....and another few hundred seats in place for the UAT series will be nice also.

[35Rem 5]

The extra "400" were installed for this past UT series, actually. Not bad seating, either. Not sure what other venues hold, but we are at a purported 1,900 now with the temporary bleachers. The record crowds on Friday (1,736) and Saturday (1,796) were GREAT!

[AU64 10,122]

The extra "400" were installed for this past UT series, actually. Not bad seating, either. Not sure what other venues hold, but we are at a purported 1,900 now with the temporary bleachers. The record crowds on Friday (1,736) and Saturday (1,796) were GREAT!

Good move to add those seats....amazing how far the program has come ....not that many years ago the games were free and a few hundred people showed up....and now people are asking how they can get tickets. Great job by the Meyers family.

[mustache eagle 2,397]

Holy cow, softball is a revenue sport!!!

[around4ever 4,139]

The UAT complex holds 3,095 including the tiered seating in right field. The Auburn Complex is now #2 in capacity in the conference. I think we could easily host a regional with the expanded capacity and we actually still have room for more temporary seats.

[AU64 10,122]

The UAT complex holds 3,095 including the tiered seating in right field. The Auburn Complex is now #2 in capacity in the conference. I think we could easily host a regional with the expanded capacity and we actually still have room for more temporary seats.

Haven't seen ours in person but it looks great on TV and getting the seating up to 2500 or so would seem to guarantee a host slot....

[all4AU 379]

We have an excellent shot at not only hosting a regional, but a potential super regional as well (as long as we keep up this level of play and stay in the top 8 of the RPI). The attendance we had for the Tennessee series is already WAY ahead of what can be expected nationally (but simply the norm here in the SEC).

ETA: The NCAA decided a few years ago to allow the top 16 seeds in softball to host as long as they meet the minimum requirements. Schools like Cal and Washington were at one point forced to travel because they didn't have lights. Also, schools like UMass would host in an effort to promote the game in the Northeast. Glad the NCAA finally wised up and actually rewarded the top 16 instead of punishing a select few. The top 16 in Women's basketball also got to host the regional round this year in an effort to boost attendance and reward the top teams.

[AU64 10,122]

We have an excellent shot at not only hosting a regional, but a potential super regional as well (as long as we keep up this level of play and stay in the top 8 of the RPI). The attendance we had for the Tennessee series is already WAY ahead of what can be expected nationally (but simply the norm here in the SEC).

ETA: The NCAA decided a few years ago to allow the top 16 seeds in softball to host as long as they meet the minimum requirements. Schools like Cal and Washington were at one point forced to travel because they didn't have lights. Also, schools like UMass would host in an effort to promote the game in the Northeast. Glad the NCAA finally wised up and actually rewarded the top 16 instead of punishing a select few. The top 16 in Women's basketball also got to host the regional round this year in an effort to boost attendance and reward the top teams.

This is a pragmatic decision....softball, like many college sports, favors the team playing on it's home field/court/arena......and starting the play down on "home fields" rewards successful programs, helps bring in some money .....and likely, keeps the brackets in shape. In my view, if the first two rounds of the NCAA basketball tourney were played at the home court of the higher rated school, there would be far fewer upsets in those rounds.

JMO but it's unfair for the higher rated softball team to go on the road just because they don't have proper facilities....but that's the way things are. IT is partly a business issue and it's reasonable that the tournaments try to be self-supporting at the least.

A secondary benefit of the plan is to encourage schools to bring their facilities up to minimum levels. Seems I recall a while back that AU did not get to host a baseball regional because our seating was not up to minimum levels...ended up playing at FSU or somewhere...that gave the opponent a decided advantage.

Anyway....it looks to me that this sudden rise in the quality of softball at AU is going to bring about much improved facilities at the school. ...which, along with good coaching, should keep AU at the top of the sport for a while.

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Link added with info