Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso: NCAA Seedings a 'Disgrace,' She Wants to Be a Voice for Change
Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso sounded off about seedings again on Tuesday night during a video press conference.
Gasso had previously voiced her displeasure with the NCAA Selection Committee’s seeding process. She said having Pac-12 powerhouse Washington seeded as the No. 16 team in the country was “a disgrace” and said she did not believe her own team deserved the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.
“We're not really talking about it (as a team),” Gasso said. “We watched the selection show. We watched (Washington) walk off. And quite honestly, I'm 100 percent behind that. Because I think it was just a rob job, no doubt.
“I can't control it, but I certainly want to be one of the voices that works for change, because there's too many young athletes, and programs that are working so hard and deserve better than what we're being given. And there's all kinds of analogies, but when you put it down on paper, nothing makes sense, and we deserve better than that. They deserve better than that. A lot of teams deserve better than what they got … this postseason. So I'm really discouraged by some of it.”
Gasso said her team will welcome the competition of facing the Huskies and national player of the year finalist Gabbie Plain, just like UW probably relishes facing the team softball fans have suggested all season long might be one of the best in history.
“I’m sure Washington's out to prove a point,” Gasso said. “But sometimes when you're trying to prove things, it doesn't work smoothly — for us, at least. And maybe it does work for Washington that way for us. We got to stay (doing) what we've been doing, and we don't look at what other people are saying or what they're doing or what they're thinking, because that's not what we control. We control what we control, and that is to play our game and not be bothered by the rest of the noise.”
Gasso ultimately said she thinks NCAA softball teams (and baseball, she said) deserve to know what they’re seeded — or at least why they’re seeded a certain way — like the NCAA basketball tournament does.
“I want transparency,” she said. “I’d like to know, you've got 16 seeds, well, why can’t we see 32? Why can't we see 48? What happens to all the other teams? That's what we're wondering.”
Gasso clarified that she’s not complaining that Oklahoma got a bad draw.
“I don't think we should have been No. 1,” Gasso said. “And I'll be the first — I’ve said it to many people — why are we No. 1? Everybody's talking crap about our strength of schedule. Then why are we No. 1? I don't know. Someone tell me why. Did we pass the eye test? Because we hit a lot of home runs? Our strength of schedule does not deserve that. But the strength of schedule — and this is nothing against LSU, it's just giving you an example of what I'm talking about — LSU has (20) losses but they have the No. 1 strength of schedule. They're seeded No. 7. Because of their strength of schedule. I think I heard that on the (selection) show. Why are we No. 1? Tell me why we're No. 1. And I'm saying that about ourselves.
“I don't get it. I don't get it, and I just feel for, like, the Wichita States — that's a team that really busted their tail.”
Gasso figures the seeding methodology — mysterious as it may be — might be strictly a cost-cutting measure.
“When you look at some of the matchups, you feel like, ‘OK well, here's how we're going to save some money: let's put let's put Missouri, Iowa State, University of Northern Iowa and UIC (Chicago) — if you put all those RPIs together, we’re playing a tougher regional. Why is that? Someone tell me. Tell us, because we're working for something, but it's just not paying off.”
Washington went 45-12, finished second in the Pac-12 — the nation’s most demanding conference — and has arguably the game’s best pitcher. Yet the Huskies are on the road after hosting a regional last week, against the No. 1 overall seed.
“Washington, that's a disgrace,” Gasso said. “It's a disgrace. And when you're talking to a coach who's trying to lead her team and then they get disrespected like that — and I'm not trying to attack anyone — just tell us. Somebody tell us what you want from us, and make it clear, and make it transparent, so we know what to do, and we know how to explain to our athletes, why this has happened.
“The Big Ten got disrespected. Do they know why? Did anyone tell them why Michigan, who won their conference is not seeded and going to Washington? Do we know why? Does anyone know why? That's all I want is just tell me. Give me the answer, and then I'll be quiet. But it's all hidden. A mystery. Why is that?
“I don't know. I don't know. So it's this one's hard. Every year there's something, but this one's the worst I've ever seen. Maybe it’s a COVID year, maybe there's finances — just say it, and we'll understand. No one's talking and no one's answering, and that's what's difficult about this.
“I feel like when you start matching up teams, because you want to get them to drive, you just compromised the integrity of this bracket. Can't keep it real any more. You just can't. So if you're gonna do that, let us know that's what you're doing. Because once you do that, everything goes away. Everything washes it just. It just does. I think we need to have 32 teams seeded, where you know at least what half the field is doing. Like basketball. You see all 64. You know, you may not agree with it, but you see it. We don't see it. We don't see it, nor I don't think baseball does either. They seed the first 16 and then it's like, ‘Alright, let's just find out where everyone's going.’ I don't understand.”