Top 100 Long-term Softball Programs – A subjective poll
Triple Crown’s Uses: Primary determination of the field of teams for a new National Tournament, to select best fields and teams for TC tournaments, to seed TC Tournaments, to select teams receiving benefits from TC such as lodging and voting rights for the poll, to assist in selection of TC television matchups, to include the top programs in the planning processes for current and new TC events.
Our criteria for the voters: Select teams who have a proven history of developing highly competitive college talent and have a compelling means to continue to do so; thus the “Top Program” designation.
Voters: In 2011, the top 50 teams from the original program poll plus 10 at large voters (5 softball media and 3 area representatives and David King and Alyson Morgenstern at Triple Crown Sports). The vote will be done once annually in the spring. In 2012 the top 35 teams from the 2011 Long Term Poll and the top 10 Teams from the Final TC/USA 2011 Top Team Poll will be the 45 team voters in 2012. Voters select the best 50 in numerical order giving 50 points for a first place and decreasing 1 point as the vote descends. Teams cannot vote for themselves. Any voter whose ballot appears to be blatantly self- serving will be removed.
Building and continuing to update the ballot: We have assembled the names of all programs that should be included for over a year. We called many of these programs and secured historical data (past big event finishes and number of players advancing on to college and at what collegiate level) about the program that would justify their placement in the poll.
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