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Section qualifiers for NorCals: An important clarification

ClayK

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Jun 25, 2001
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So if you read the CIF Regional Handbook before today, it appeared that the number of automatic qualifiers for each section were only for the Open and Divisions I through V.

The section, however, was poorly worded and has been amended, which results in a major change, especially in NCS. Most people thought there were 25 slots for NCS Open and Divisions I through V, but actually that 25 number included Division VI -- so there are only 21 for the five divisions.

NCS has already decided that the highest seed eliminated in the quarterfinals, regardless of division, will get the 21st slot (each division gets four, so there's one extra). That would be Marin Catholic, the third seed in Division IV, which lost in the quarterfinals.

So California, a fourth seed, is out, even though it is a Division I team, because Marin Catholic had a higher seed going into the playoffs. (Albany is the boys' extra ...)
 
So the NCS only gets 1 at large bid outside of auto qualifiers?
 
So if you read the CIF Regional Handbook before today, it appeared that the number of automatic qualifiers for each section were only for the Open and Divisions I through V.

The section, however, was poorly worded and has been amended, which results in a major change, especially in NCS. Most people thought there were 25 slots for NCS Open and Divisions I through V, but actually that 25 number included Division VI -- so there are only 21 for the five divisions.

NCS has already decided that the highest seed eliminated in the quarterfinals, regardless of division, will get the 21st slot (each division gets four, so there's one extra). That would be Marin Catholic, the third seed in Division IV, which lost in the quarterfinals.

So California, a fourth seed, is out, even though it is a Division I team, because Marin Catholic had a higher seed going into the playoffs. (Albany is the boys' extra ...)

So if I am understanding correctly, the 25 teams going to Norcal are locked. However, those 25 teams could be spread over various divisions based on "competitive equity" without being locked into their population based divisions. Is that correct?

If so, why even consider population based divisions at all? Why not just take the 25 top ranked teams and let them go at it?
 
So if you read the CIF Regional Handbook before today, it appeared that the number of automatic qualifiers for each section were only for the Open and Divisions I through V.

The section, however, was poorly worded and has been amended, which results in a major change, especially in NCS. Most people thought there were 25 slots for NCS Open and Divisions I through V, but actually that 25 number included Division VI -- so there are only 21 for the five divisions.

NCS has already decided that the highest seed eliminated in the quarterfinals, regardless of division, will get the 21st slot (each division gets four, so there's one extra). That would be Marin Catholic, the third seed in Division IV, which lost in the quarterfinals.

So California, a fourth seed, is out, even though it is a Division I team, because Marin Catholic had a higher seed going into the playoffs. (Albany is the boys' extra ...)


Wow!!

OK... so I guess we are pretty much back to the old days.... win 2 to get in basically.

and 1 high seeded team (who chokes it up in early round) gets their Hail Mary answered
(this season it happens to be Marin Catholic).
 
So if you read the CIF Regional Handbook before today, it appeared that the number of automatic qualifiers for each section were only for the Open and Divisions I through V.

The section, however, was poorly worded and has been amended, which results in a major change, especially in NCS. Most people thought there were 25 slots for NCS Open and Divisions I through V, but actually that 25 number included Division VI -- so there are only 21 for the five divisions.

NCS has already decided that the highest seed eliminated in the quarterfinals, regardless of division, will get the 21st slot (each division gets four, so there's one extra). That would be Marin Catholic, the third seed in Division IV, which lost in the quarterfinals.

So California, a fourth seed, is out, even though it is a Division I team, because Marin Catholic had a higher seed going into the playoffs. (Albany is the boys' extra ...)

Will the SJS get 2 open invites?

Curious to know who you think gets a D1 invite and how you slot those teams seeding wise.
 
So if you read the CIF Regional Handbook before today, it appeared that the number of automatic qualifiers for each section were only for the Open and Divisions I through V.

The section, however, was poorly worded and has been amended, which results in a major change, especially in NCS. Most people thought there were 25 slots for NCS Open and Divisions I through V, but actually that 25 number included Division VI -- so there are only 21 for the five divisions.

NCS has already decided that the highest seed eliminated in the quarterfinals, regardless of division, will get the 21st slot (each division gets four, so there's one extra). That would be Marin Catholic, the third seed in Division IV, which lost in the quarterfinals.

So California, a fourth seed, is out, even though it is a Division I team, because Marin Catholic had a higher seed going into the playoffs. (Albany is the boys' extra ...)

I guess what I told you was in fact correct, even though I thought I was COMPLETELY wrong..That's really too bad.
 
Clay,
Does that 21 teams coming out of NCS include the teams that are going to the open division? Or is it that those most likely 4 spots get filled by the highest seeds who did not make the NCS semifinals in the D1-D5 nor cal brackets.
 
Clay,
Does that 21 teams coming out of NCS include the teams that are going to the open division? Or is it that those most likely 4 spots get filled by the highest seeds who did not make the NCS semifinals in the D1-D5 nor cal brackets.

I took a look at the CIF website and there are separate handbooks for Norcal Open/Divisions 1-5 and Norcal Division 6. While the O/D1-5 handbook is not a model of clarity, it does say NCS has 25 "automatic qualifiers". Unfortunately, I can't find any explanation about how those automatic qualifiers are determined. Nor could I find any support for Clay's contention that the 25 qualifiers includes D6. If it doesn't, it means NCS gets 5 wild card picks.
 
How Many at Large bids did the NCS get last year? Just two? Dublin/James Logan. No way they get 5 wildcard slots
 
Gil told me directly that NCS has 25 for Divisions I through VI ... even though the Handbook makes it sound like the 25 is just for I through V.

Last year, CCS did not take all its allotted slots (21, I think), and so NCS got some extra. CCS is taking all its slots this year, so no extras for NCS.

The slots for Divisions I through V are the four semifinalists in each division, plus Marin Catholic, the highest seeded team to lose in the quarterfinals.
 
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Last season we were shoe horned into D1 as a 16 and nobody here ( or anywhere) had an expectation we would be D1. Never underestimate the backroom deals and politics that change what seems obvious to the ridiculous.
In other words, don’t count Marin C as a lock. You never know.
 
Gil told me directly that NCS has 25 for Divisions I through VI ... even though the Handbook makes it sound like the 25 is just for I through V.

Last year, CCS did not take all its allotted slots (21, I think), and so NCS got some extra. CCS is taking all its slots this year, so no extras for NCS.

The slots for Divisions I through V are the four semifinalists in each division, plus Marin Catholic, the highest seeded team to lose in the quarterfinals.

That makes more sense than the alternative reading. CIF really needs to hire someone who knows how to write. And I still don't see anything stating how the 25 automatic qualifiers are selected. Guess we all just forget about the handbook and call the NCS office.
 
Each section can pick its qualifiers however it wants, as I understand it. It submits an ordered list of those selected qualifiers to the CIF committee.
 
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