The Madness of the RPI


by Chai Rose - Date: 2007-03-10 - Word Count: 396 Share This!

Every year, right around late January, college basketball fans begin to be beaten over the head with three little letters: R-P-I.

Most fans don't know exactly what it is but they know that it's important to their team's chances of making it into the tournament. The importance of the RPI is fed even more by the media like ESPN and CBS who seem unable to talk about any team without flashing that team's RPI on the screen.

But what exactly is the RPI?

Have you taken a look at the formula for this? It's a bit complicated and not being a math wiz I don't fully understand it, but here is what I do know: It's horrible!

For one thing, it doesn't take into account winning margin. But it does take into account the record of the team you're playing and the records of the team of the team you're playing. Got it? If not, let me help you.

You could have team A (an average team) playing team B (a team with a horrible record). Team A wins by 31 points.

Then, on the same night, Team C (an average team) plays Team D (a team in the top 10). Team C loses by 48 points.

Guess which team will get more points in the RPI?

If you guessed Team C, the team that just got throttled, you are right! That's right. Just because they played a team with a much better record and ranking, they'll move up in the RPI. Who cares if they lost by 48? Who cares if the other team won by 31? The RPI doesn't. Yet, many teams' chances of making it into the Dance hinge on this ridiculous formula.

Look, I'm all for some math geek making up some crazy formula to rank teams. (Personally I think he should go out to bar and have some fun but if he wants to play with number son a Friday night, who am I to object?) But why would the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee buy into his crap? It just doesn't make sense.

The only thing worse than the RPI is the BCS ranking in college football. Only problem is, everyone knows the BCS is a sham while most fans blindly accept the RPI as gospel.

Perhaps one day the letters RPI will no longer mean "Ratings Percentage Index" and they'll come to stand for what they are: a "Really Poor Invention".


Related Tags: basketball, ncaa, tournament, college basketball, march madness, ncaa tourney, rpi, ncaa tournament

Chai Rose is a freelance writer in New York.

Visit his sports blog at: http://www.sportschat.wordpress.com

You can also visit Chai's writing page at: http://www.squidoo.com/writer4hire

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