BYU Rule Has Minimal Effect on Cougars After Costly NCAA Tournament Exit
BYU basketball player Keba Keita scores a layup.
The BYU basketball team is making its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, earning a six-seed this year. The Cougars are unique because their religious beliefs can influence their placement.
Each time BYU is in the tournament, the selection committee considers the BYU Rule. This year is no exception, but its impact appears minor.
The rule is straightforward: the Cougars do not play on Sundays.
NCAA regulations state that if a school has a written policy against competing on a certain day due to religious reasons, the championship schedule must be adjusted to accommodate that school. Brigham Young University prohibits Sunday play, so its schedule is modified to ensure games fall on Saturday or Monday, even if it means altering broadcast schedules.
This presents challenges for tournament scheduling. NCAA Tournament games typically occur on weekends, with Thursday/Saturday and Friday/Sunday rotations in the first round.
The BYU Rule eliminates half of the bracket for the Cougars, preventing them from being placed in any path leading to a potential Sunday game.
Last year, this rule proved costly when BYU was dropped a seed line to accommodate scheduling. The team was projected as the top five-seed but was moved to the six-line instead.
That adjustment backfired when the Cougars lost in the first round to 11-seed Duquesne. This year, however, the impact is far less significant.
Although the selection committee had to alter the bracket to fit BYU’s needs, the school’s seeding remained unaffected. The only change was the elimination of the South and Midwest regions.
Due to the Thursday/Saturday schedule, BYU could only be placed in the East or West, which also prevented a matchup with No. 1 overall seed Auburn.
As a six-seed in the East, BYU will compete in a bracket where Duke holds the top spot. The Cougars will face 11-seed VCU on Thursday, with a potential second-round game against the winner of Wisconsin and Montana on Saturday.