EnergyAg said:
Why not keep everything about the process the same but change it so a win over a low-rpi team is worth zero points instead of negative points? Or make a win over any team below a certain rpi level worth the same small amount instead of negative.
The RPI is a percentage. You're not collecting points, per se. RPI is 0.25 * Your Winning % + 0.50 * Your Opponents' Winning % + 0.25% Opponents' Opponents' Winning %. "Points" is kind of a misnomer.
In order to ensure a win didn't hurt you, you'd have to do a before and after comparison of the RPI and remove the game from the calculation if it hurts you.
And I just don't think some folks around here have thought through all the stuff that would induce in order to prevent the cancellation of a Tuesday night game vs Incarnate Word.
Like, if you're bothered by the idea that teams "game the RPI" in non-conference...look out. Mid-majors who slowly melt away in the standings over time due to their weak conferences, that won't happen anymore because all those games against bad teams won't hurt them anymore.
Teams would shoot their wads the first 3 or 4 weeks of the season and then play garbage schedules that can't lower their RPI.