> > The idea behind the S-value is to cancel these > > factors out so that it doesn't matter where a team plays: If they > > choose to play at a weak Sectional they will score more points but > > lose position because of the weakness of their opponents. > > > One of the goals of the S-value is to make the choice of Sectional > to > > attend irrelevant to qualification. > > But obviously, for a situation like the A&M SCT, it does. For at- > large bids, I see no real problems. At Texas A&M Division I teams have the advantage of playing (presumed) weaker teams. Thus they are required to perform better than teams that have to play (presumed) stronger teams. It is not at all obvious to NAQT that Division I teams at the Texas A&M Sectional will have a harder time qualifying than those elsewhere. > However, I'm struck at the use of the word "choose" here. If we are > to assume that NAQT's wish is that teams play in the SCT closest to > them, why should the performance requirements for an automatic bid > be any different from the other sectionals? Must a team like UT- > Austin actively seek out a site that will give them a better chance > to qualify? I can't imagine cherrypicking of sectionals fits NAQT's > vision. I am having difficulty following your argument here. NAQT imagines that most teams will attend the sectional nearest them, but wants a policy in which their choice is irrelevant to qualification. This policy was adopted specifically to *minimize* the advantages that a team could reap by choosing a weaker sectional to attend. In the past there was a huge advantage to choosing a weak or small sectional in order to take advantage of the plethora of automatic bids. That path to the ICT has been closed. Why should the performance requirement for Division I teams be different at Texas A&M? Simple: Because they are playing (presumed) *weaker* teams. This is an objective, measurable difference and not one arbitrarily chosen by NAQT to "punish" a specific group of people. We believe that it will maximize the overall quality of the teams issued invitations to the ICT. -- R. Robert Hentzel President and Chief Technical Officer, National Academic Quiz Tournaments, LLC
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