Host Sites Announced
The 2011 Regional host sites for games played Friday, June 3 through Monday, June 6 are now known. The sixteen are:
Charlottesville, VA (Virginia)
Chapel Hill, NC (North Carolina)
Tallahassee, FL (Florida State)
Atlanta, GA (Georgia Tech)
Clemson, SC (Clemson)
Nashville, TN (Vanderbilt)
Gainesville, FL (Florida)
Columbia, SC (South Carolina)
Houston, TX (Rice)
Austin, TX (Texas)
College Station, TX (Texas A&M)
Fort Worth, TX (TCU)
Tempe, AZ (Arizona State)
Corvallis, OR (Oregon State)
Los Angeles, CA (UCLA)
Fullerton, CA (Cal State Fullerton)
Some initial observations:
The big surprise was UCLA, where the Bruins' 33 pRPI made them an unlikely host. Only Michigan in 2008 had a worse hosting RPI rank at 35. Oregon State was #30 in 2006.
The hosts followed a geographic pattern with four West Coast sites.
Left out were Arkansas and Southern Miss, both fringe host sites in the south.
Clemson did receive a host giving the ACC five sites.
The state of Texas got four sites.
UCLA would project to host as a #2 seed - although that is not a given. Southern Miss might be the logical #1 to send there.
Will have more later today.