Its the B1G that:
* Made Nebraska play 8 games in 15 days to get their 20 games in
* DID NOT make Michigan play 11 games in 22 days to get their 20 games in
* Made up the rule that highest winning percentage would determine the reg season champion
The B1G Regular Season Champion will be Decided by Win Percentage. Michigan will Clinch Top Winning Percentage by Winning 1 of Final 2 Games
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
Its the B1G that:
* Made Nebraska play 8 games in 15 days to get their 20 games in
* DID NOT make Michigan play 11 games in 22 days to get their 20 games in
* Made up the rule that highest winning percentage would determine the reg season champion
@Illinoisman @IlliniHoops91 @Booty Maximus @Illini Fan 1 @Fighter of the Nightman
Have Illinois coaches / players /media said anything on this topic?
What are the Illini fans thinking?
Did the B1G screw up this decision?
Have Illinois coaches / players /media said anything on this topic?
What are the Illini fans thinking?
Did the B1G screw up this decision?
I think there should be co-champs. Michigan deserves their share, they won per the B1G rules. But I think the right thing to do is co-champs. I doubt it will happen. The conference screwed up by letting this go so long with no communication.
Underwood has said plenty, he's not timid about this stuff. He thinks Illinois should be the champs. His players agree.
Media agrees.
Appreciate the support.
interesting. thank you for the links to a player's and a media member's thoughts on this
I think the B1G didn't announce their "winning percentage rule" until March 1 because of the fiasco that happened with their football rules, where they had to change the rules at the end of the season in order to get Ohio State into the B1G Championship game.
And remember, they canceled the football season and that decision was not going to be revisited. Well, they revisited that horrible decision and made it right.
Perhaps they should revisit this decision, too.
I’ll fully admit I’m biased against Warren at this point, as he’s proven himself to be a dickhead ... but pretty bullshit, if you ask me. A 2-game advantage in wins and a 1-game disadvantage in losses should be a tie in this scenario, assuming you aren’t going to make Michigan play its damn games. I mean, Illinois ended the season on a BRUTAL stretch so Juwan’s guys could rest.
Remember when Michigan was about to come back from their pause and the media asked Coach Howard if they'd get their final 11 games completed in the final 22 days? Howard didn't think that would be fair to the players' physical and mental health. The players didn't seem to like that 11 games in 22 days idea, either. Hmmmm...I wonder why. Maybe because they sat there at 8-1 with a huge lead in the standings?
I fully admit that I don't care for the Illini. But this decision to crown Michigan based on win percentage does not feel right.
The Illini have more wins (16 vs 14).
The Illini are in FIRST PLACE by 1/2 game.
Since when does a FIRST PLACE TEAM not win a championship??? Since Kevin Warren took over, that's when.
I just appreciate the insight of a 3rd party on the topic. I do realize our fanbase, and that includes me at times, gripes a lot but this situation could easily be remedied if they wanted to.
They just don't want to.
Yep. Completely agree.
This rule that finally came out on March 1 that the reg season champion would be decided by winning percentage is a joke.
The Illini have more wins (16 vs 14).
The Illini are in FIRST PLACE by 1/2 game.
Since when does a FIRST PLACE TEAM (Illinois) not win a championship??? Since Kevin Warren took over, that's when. The March 1 winning percentage rule dictates that Michigan is your SOLE conference champion.
FINAL Standings:
........................................Games
..........................................Back
Illinois.....................16-4............... (.800)
Michigan.................14-3....1/2...... (.824)
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They tried to wait as long as possible to make a decision.....they still didn't wait long enough.
What a cluster ****
Kevin Warren has done what I thought impossible. Made me side with Illannoy
Kevin Warren is a disaster. Handling of the football season was terrible. Handling of the crossover games was not what was agreed to. Not making Michigan play those other games is ridiculous while telling Nebraska they had to was dumb and biased.
I do not like the Illini but they got totally screwed over. I get you don't want to punish teams for getting COVID but isn't there something to be said about players and teams that did everything they could to not contracting the virus? It's punishing teams for finishing their season.
I do not like the Illini but they got totally screwed over. I get you don't want to punish teams for getting COVID but isn't there something to be said about players and teams that did everything they could to not contracting the virus? It's punishing teams for finishing their season.
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I just know that if this had happened to Iowa, Iowa fans would be in major uproar
I have been saying that since Feb 23!!!
As I laid out in this thread, the B1G was silent on how a Regular Season Champion would be crowned until March 1. I just don't think they thought the Illini (or anyone else) would catch Michigan.
Well, as we know, they did catch Michigan and now sit 1/2 game ahead in the standings.
Now what?
is there any noise the B1G might revisit this?
or is it final & there is ONE B1G Champ
I hope this is final,..looks bad enough as it is,.. revisiting it would only make the BIG look more inept.
I can't believe I am defending the Illini but if I were them I'd be pissed
They have more wins (16 vs 14 for Michigan)
They are in sole possession of 1st place (by 1/2 game); Michigan finished SECOND
Yet Michigan, the 2nd place team, is the SOLE Champion??
I stated this earlier in this thread & I will state it again. Iowa & PSU Wrestling were separated by 1/2 "game" and the B1G declared them BOTH B1G Champions. Well, the Ilini & Michigan are separated by the same 1/2 game. So why not BE CONSISTENT & declare them BOTH B1G Champions?
The B1G looks inept indeed.
If there's nothing said today then I doubt anything happens. You'll notice even in the Big Ten release about the bracket being finalized, all that is said is "Michigan clinched the top seed", no mention of how.
It's really just awful leadership. Reminds me of times when I worked for big corp type companies, would never communicate on issues until things were "final" and you couldn't do anything about them.
Oh well, hoping for a rematch Saturday and Wieskamp is able to go. Still can't believe the conference didn't schedule these teams for 2 meetings during the season.
How can you be in sole possession of 1st Place yet the title goes to the 2nd place team? Did the B1G put you on secret probation or something?
FINAL Standings:
........................................Games
..........................................Back
Illinois.....................16-4............... (.800)
Michigan.................14-3....1/2...... (.824)
Here's a story from Sports Illustrated where they talk about the controversy.
Title Controversy?: Illini & Michigan Both Laying Claim to Big Ten Title
Both players and coaches at Michigan and Illinois are laying a public claim to the 2021 Big Ten regular season championship
cc: @IlliniHoops91 @Fighter of the Nightman @Booty Maximus
Dosunmu must have been reading this thread.
This is what he had to say:
“I think when it’s all said and done, we will be co-champions. I mean, look at our résumé. We lost four games, I believe. We beat Michigan, who are the champs. They didn’t play three more games. Any day in the Big Ten, anyone can be beat. I think we proved that we’re one of the best teams in the country. With this win tonight, we believe we’re Big Ten champions.”
wolverineswire.usatoday.com
This is what he had to say:
“I think when it’s all said and done, we will be co-champions. I mean, look at our résumé. We lost four games, I believe. We beat Michigan, who are the champs. They didn’t play three more games. Any day in the Big Ten, anyone can be beat. I think we proved that we’re one of the best teams in the country. With this win tonight, we believe we’re Big Ten champions.”
Juwan Howard not letting Illinois get away with calling itself 'co-Big Ten champions'
Michigan basketball is the Big Ten champion. That is what it is. Yet, Illinois can’t let it go that, after beating Michigan this past week and continuing to roll, they do not have that distin…
wolverineswire.usatoday.com
I know that, several times this year, you brought up the fact that Mich should play the same slate of games as everyone else and I agree. Purdue played 19 games along with Indiana, PSU, Northwestern, and Nebby. Big difference between even the non-contenders except Purdue. I have to give you credit for hammering this all along.Here's a story from Sports Illustrated where they talk about the controversy.
Title Controversy?: Illini & Michigan Both Laying Claim to Big Ten Title
Both players and coaches at Michigan and Illinois are laying a public claim to the 2021 Big Ten regular season championshipwww.si.com
cc: @IlliniHoops91 @Fighter of the Nightman @Booty Maximus
I don't blame the Illini for wanting a share. Now, go easy on poor old Margaret, ok?
I don't think the B1G has ever come out and stated why they chose winning percentage
Especially when Michigan took an extra week off to get back up to speed while other teams were battling each other in games that counted. Anyone that thinks Michigan players were just sitting around for weeks doing no basketball related activities while waiting for games to restart are kidding themselves.
If Michigan and Illinois make the BTT title game, it's a double championship match. Regular season and tournament titles on the line. Winner take all!
I'm hearing now that there was an "agreement" to use winning % heading into the start of the season. I'm guessing there was also a clause stating that teams would make EVERY EFFORT to reschedule any postponed games. And clearly that clause has not been honored by the Big Ten and Michigan. Maybe justifiably, in that case say so. And make Illinois co-champs. It's so simple, so stupid not to do it.
Kevin Warren, ladies and gents.
The only possible way to go into the season with winning % being the deciding factor would have been to also stipulate a minimum number of games that had to be played,... Short of that there would be too many ways to play the system..
If this happened to Iowa something, somewhere would have been on fire.
Iowa was never gonna win the reg season title because they blew some games so why do I care? I guess Kevin Warren & all of the dumb decisions that have been made since the pandemic started have really gotten to me.
I know for a fact that when Iowa/Nebraska got postponed, Hoiberg called Fran & told Fran the game would be rescheduled. Nebraska played 8 games in 15 days to make up their games. They even went to Maryland & played Maryland on consecutive nights. They ended up getting 19 of 20 games in.
Michigan's approach was the exact opposite. And don't forget, Michigan was 8-1 and ready to come back from their pause. They could have played their final 11 games in the final 22 days. Coach Howard & the Michigan players did not feel comfortable with having to do that in the press conference leading up to their return to play.
Again, Nebraska played 8 games in 15 days (Feb 6 thru Feb 20). Nebraska even had to play back to back games (Feb 16 and Feb 17 at Maryland).
So, why wasn't the B1G making Michigan play their remaining 11 games in the 22 days left so that they end up having to play 20 games, just like everybody else?
Instead, Michigan was allowed to COMFORTABLY play just 17 conference games.
Michigan's (14-3):
W vs PSU
W at Neb
W at MD
W vs N'w
W vs MN
W vs Wisc
L at MN
W vs MD
W Jan 22 at Purdue (last game before their covid pause)
23 DAY LAYOFF
W Feb 14 at Wisc (when finally came off their pause)
W Feb 18 vs Rutgers
W Feb 21 at OSU
W Feb 25 vs Iowa
W Feb 27 at Indiana
L March 2 vs Illinois (should have been played Feb 11)
W March 4 vs Michigan State
L March 7 at Michigan State
Isiah Livers' reaction to having to play 11 games in 22 days:
Michigan has a valid point. So does Illinois. That's why co-champs makes sense. The idea of an "agreement" near the start of the season that winning percentage would be the deciding factor is ludicrous. The coaches didn't know about it, the B1G didn't announce it, and it's not even logical considering the potential ambiguity of the situation--which has materialized with two co-champions (standings vs winning percentage). Finally, with whom was this "agreement" made? If it is just a term for interior B1G HQ discussions, that's a cop-out since it was never formally announced (thus subject to change).
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Apparently the agreement was "... the Big Ten Conference athletics directors and Council of President and Chancellors agreed before the beginning of this 2020-21 season to determine the league’s regular season champion by overall winning percentage rightfully assuming the pandemic would cause some programs to play less than the allotted 20 conference games."
https://www.si.com/college/illinois...th-laying-claim-to-big-ten-title-march-7-2021
However, there was no minimum number of games set, and the agreement didn't seem to be announced until recently. It has also resulted in an embarrassing situation for B1G HQ with two co-champs (league standings vs winning percentage) but only one formally acknowledged by the league office.
https://www.si.com/college/illinois...th-laying-claim-to-big-ten-title-march-7-2021
However, there was no minimum number of games set, and the agreement didn't seem to be announced until recently. It has also resulted in an embarrassing situation for B1G HQ with two co-champs (league standings vs winning percentage) but only one formally acknowledged by the league office.
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The Illini are in sole possession of 1st place (by 1/2 game). And the SECOND PLACE team, Michigan, is our champion?
I am glad I am not an Illini fan because this would really piss me off.
And I have to say, I am impressed with how the Ilini finished. I didn't think anyone would catch Michigan after their 8-0 start. Well, the Illini not only caught Michigan, they destroyed them on Michigan's HOME floor and they passed them in the standings. Michigan is 2nd in the standings, the Illini 1st. And your reward? NOTHING!! Congrats!
Remember when everyone was glad to see 2020 go and thought 2021 would be so much better? Well, how are things going so far in 2021, Illini Nation?
My problem with this is the Mich women were ready to play on Feb 11, but the men needed another 3 days to get ready, because they didn't want to play Illinois their first game back. If they had played on Feb 11, they would have had time to make up at least 1 more game.
Illinois AD goes public.
fightingillini.com
Open Letter from Director of Athletics Josh Whitman - University of Illinois Athletics
Whitman addresses the conclusion of the men's basketball regular season.
fightingillini.com
Totally agree.
Nebraska, even with their long pause, got 19 games in.
Why was Michigan allowed to rest & only get in 17?
Whining Illini: Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman writes a sob story
He says the Big Ten’s decision to make Michigan the men’s basketball champion “will forever live in infamy amongst the Illini family.’’ Easy there, tiger.
By Rick Morrissey
@MorrisseyCST
Mar 10, 2021, 1:12pm CST
llinois athletic director Josh Whitman wrote a scathing open letter, complaining that the Illini men’s basketball team should have been co-champions of the Big Ten. Associated Press
Somebody help me here. Was it Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Josh Whitman who declared that Dec. 7, 1941, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, would be “a date which will live in infamy?”
I’m confused because Whitman, Illinois’ athletic director, not Roosevelt, the late president of the United States, recently wrote that the Big Ten’s decision to name Michigan its regular-season men’s basketball champion “will forever live in infamy amongst the Illini family.”
Tell me he didn’t go there.
Yes. Yes, he did.
There is overwrought and then there’s whatever Whitman was trying to accomplish with his world-class whining. He wrote an “open letter’’ Tuesday complaining that the Illini should have been co-champions with Michigan and that only the pandemic and a lack of spine from the Big Ten (hello, commissioner Kevin Warren!) kept them from their rightful place atop the mountain.
Michigan didn’t get to play all of its conference games because of a two-week pause brought on by positive COVID-19 tests across several sports at the university. Members of a Big Ten committee (which included Illinois) voted twice in the past five months that the regular-season title would be decided by winning percentage.
Michigan finished 14-3 (.824). Illinois finished 16-4 (.800).
Lots of bad things have happened during the pandemic, including more than 525,000 American deaths due to COVID-19. On the importance meter, Illinois’ lack of a shared title ranks way, way down there. That’s the message a hinged athletic director should have sent to athletes. That worse things have happened and let’s move on.
But instead of the end of the story, it was the beginning of a sob story.
“History matters in college athletics, and this is an outcome that will forever live in infamy amongst the Illini family,” Whitman wrote.
Once you’ve played the live-in-infamy card, where can you go? If, say, a foreign power invaded Urbana-Champaign and declared that the University of Illinois would now become a munitions production complex, run by the enslaved populations of both towns, what would Whitman call that day? A really, really bad one? Worse than the infamous day the Big Ten jobbed the Illini? How could it be?
“It stands counter to the very foundations of competition and sport,’’ Whitman wrote. “For a marquee conference that just concluded arguably the greatest, most competitive season in the history of college basketball, this is an unfortunate and disappointing outcome.’’
Lines that didn’t make the cut in Whitman’s letter, due to space constraints:
“Mr. Warren, tear down this wall.’’
“Give me liberty or give me death.’’
“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.’’
“Blessed are they amongst the Illini family who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness …’’
Give Whitman this: He knows his audience, which is every audience in every college town and every alumni association. These are people who live and die with their teams. Go to any message board for any athletic program and you will find indignation and outrage about something or other. Mostly outrage. If you were to invite these people to a gathering, you’d name the get-together the Aggrieved Party. Nobody does resentment like college sports fans.
Venting at the Big Ten didn’t appear to be Whitman’s sole aim. He used his letter as a written pep rally for the basketball team. Do the Illini really need help from their athletic director to get pumped up for the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA Tournament? No, they don’t. If they win the conference tournament, they’ll almost certainly be a No. 1 seed in the national tournament. That’s all the motivation any 18- through 21-year-old kid needs.
But, no. Whitman cracked his knuckles and started typing. I wouldn’t describe his writing as flowery. I’d describe it as a botanical garden.
“Every time we are slighted, every time we are disrespected, use each instance as an excuse to sharpen your axe,’’ he said to the Illini players in his open letter. “And when we accomplish our goals, we’ll use that razor-sharp axe to cut down the nets.’’
Illinois has an exciting, talented team. It knows how good it is. It doesn’t need a piece of a regular-season Big Ten title for affirmation. And it certainly doesn’t need an athletic director playing to the crowd as a source of inspiration. It wants to win the national championship, the only motivation that’s necessary.
If Michigan winning the regular-season title is a day that will live in infamy for a member of the Illini “family,’’ they might want to examine their life. Or, better yet, get one.
chicago.suntimes.com
CC: @IlliniHoops91 @Fighter of the Nightman @Booty Maximus
He says the Big Ten’s decision to make Michigan the men’s basketball champion “will forever live in infamy amongst the Illini family.’’ Easy there, tiger.
By Rick Morrissey
@MorrisseyCST
Mar 10, 2021, 1:12pm CST
llinois athletic director Josh Whitman wrote a scathing open letter, complaining that the Illini men’s basketball team should have been co-champions of the Big Ten. Associated Press
Somebody help me here. Was it Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Josh Whitman who declared that Dec. 7, 1941, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, would be “a date which will live in infamy?”
I’m confused because Whitman, Illinois’ athletic director, not Roosevelt, the late president of the United States, recently wrote that the Big Ten’s decision to name Michigan its regular-season men’s basketball champion “will forever live in infamy amongst the Illini family.”
Tell me he didn’t go there.
Yes. Yes, he did.
There is overwrought and then there’s whatever Whitman was trying to accomplish with his world-class whining. He wrote an “open letter’’ Tuesday complaining that the Illini should have been co-champions with Michigan and that only the pandemic and a lack of spine from the Big Ten (hello, commissioner Kevin Warren!) kept them from their rightful place atop the mountain.
Michigan didn’t get to play all of its conference games because of a two-week pause brought on by positive COVID-19 tests across several sports at the university. Members of a Big Ten committee (which included Illinois) voted twice in the past five months that the regular-season title would be decided by winning percentage.
Michigan finished 14-3 (.824). Illinois finished 16-4 (.800).
Lots of bad things have happened during the pandemic, including more than 525,000 American deaths due to COVID-19. On the importance meter, Illinois’ lack of a shared title ranks way, way down there. That’s the message a hinged athletic director should have sent to athletes. That worse things have happened and let’s move on.
But instead of the end of the story, it was the beginning of a sob story.
“History matters in college athletics, and this is an outcome that will forever live in infamy amongst the Illini family,” Whitman wrote.
Once you’ve played the live-in-infamy card, where can you go? If, say, a foreign power invaded Urbana-Champaign and declared that the University of Illinois would now become a munitions production complex, run by the enslaved populations of both towns, what would Whitman call that day? A really, really bad one? Worse than the infamous day the Big Ten jobbed the Illini? How could it be?
“It stands counter to the very foundations of competition and sport,’’ Whitman wrote. “For a marquee conference that just concluded arguably the greatest, most competitive season in the history of college basketball, this is an unfortunate and disappointing outcome.’’
Lines that didn’t make the cut in Whitman’s letter, due to space constraints:
“Mr. Warren, tear down this wall.’’
“Give me liberty or give me death.’’
“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.’’
“Blessed are they amongst the Illini family who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness …’’
Give Whitman this: He knows his audience, which is every audience in every college town and every alumni association. These are people who live and die with their teams. Go to any message board for any athletic program and you will find indignation and outrage about something or other. Mostly outrage. If you were to invite these people to a gathering, you’d name the get-together the Aggrieved Party. Nobody does resentment like college sports fans.
Venting at the Big Ten didn’t appear to be Whitman’s sole aim. He used his letter as a written pep rally for the basketball team. Do the Illini really need help from their athletic director to get pumped up for the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA Tournament? No, they don’t. If they win the conference tournament, they’ll almost certainly be a No. 1 seed in the national tournament. That’s all the motivation any 18- through 21-year-old kid needs.
But, no. Whitman cracked his knuckles and started typing. I wouldn’t describe his writing as flowery. I’d describe it as a botanical garden.
“Every time we are slighted, every time we are disrespected, use each instance as an excuse to sharpen your axe,’’ he said to the Illini players in his open letter. “And when we accomplish our goals, we’ll use that razor-sharp axe to cut down the nets.’’
Illinois has an exciting, talented team. It knows how good it is. It doesn’t need a piece of a regular-season Big Ten title for affirmation. And it certainly doesn’t need an athletic director playing to the crowd as a source of inspiration. It wants to win the national championship, the only motivation that’s necessary.
If Michigan winning the regular-season title is a day that will live in infamy for a member of the Illini “family,’’ they might want to examine their life. Or, better yet, get one.
Whining Illini: Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman writes a sob story
He says the Big Ten’s decision to make Michigan the men’s basketball champion “will forever live in infamy amongst the Illini family.’’ Easy there, tiger.
chicago.suntimes.com
CC: @IlliniHoops91 @Fighter of the Nightman @Booty Maximus
I still say the AD's made a huge ass mistake in deciding on win percentage.
Now the B1G has egg on its face. Again.
Its pretty clear to me that we have co-champions. And I hate you mama bleepers!!
CC: @IlliniHoops91 @Fighter of the Nightman @Booty Maximus
Now the B1G has egg on its face. Again.
Its pretty clear to me that we have co-champions. And I hate you mama bleepers!!
CC: @IlliniHoops91 @Fighter of the Nightman @Booty Maximus
