The new RPI: the bane of big conference bubble teams.

This season's RPI formula is definitely more mid-major friendly, but it's come at a cost for a bunch of major-conference schools. There are several schools that would have much brighter NCAA prospects under the old RPI.


Team (RPI under new formula/RPI under old formula)

Georgia Tech (44/30)
Minnesota (49/32)
West Virginia (52/41)
Georgetown (57/42)
Miami FL (62/45)
Iowa (67/46)
Texas A&M (72/55)
Vandy (74/48)
Indiana (80/51)
NC State (86/64)


Georgia Tech and Minnesota would be solidly in with the old formula, while many of the others would find themselves in the top-50. The new formula makes the resumes of some mid-majors look much nicer than they actually are. If the NCAA's goal was to reduce the number of mediocre big conference schools with tournament-worthy RPIs, they accomplished that (let's be honest--several of the schools on the above list have no business in the NCAAs), but I'm wondering if the changes they made were a little too drastic.

This year there are plenty of mediocre mid-majors in the RPI top-50 (Arkansas Little Rock, Akron, Kent State...). Given the choice, I'd rather see overrated major-conference schools in the RPI top-50 instead of overrated mid-majors (that's my bias talking).