Third Seed in HL Tourney to Receive Bye

[historyman]

I was reading through some stories on the YSU athletics website on the big YSU win over Pitt when I just happen to notice this line at the end of one of the stories that their website had on the HL men's basketball tourney.

The Horizon League tournament runs March 5, 8, 9 and 12. With the departure of Butler, the tournament format has been tweaked. The top two seeds will earn byes to the semifinals while the third seed will receive a bye into the second round.

http://www.ysusports.com/sports/mbkb/2012-13/releases/20120824v9axyc

That kind of struck me between the eyes because I know there have been some posters in the past that have been clamoring for a bye for the third seed for a while. Suddenly it has become reality and it seems to me a much more equitable situation that doesn't punish the third seed by dropping them 2 slots down from the second seed just because they didn't win their tie-breaker with the second seed.

[sectionee]

I like it. Top teams still get handsomely rewarded and number 3 gets a break too. With the 9 team format this is good. Depending on if any new teams come around I bet we see the top 4 getting some sort of benefit.

[StlVUFan]

I like it. Top teams still get handsomely rewarded and number 3 gets a break too. With the 9 team format this is good. Depending on if any new teams come around I bet we see the top 4 getting some sort of benefit.

this is exactly how it was before Valpo joined the conference.  It is purely a matter of math.