Cortland State's Joe Brown led the movement to the change in the Championship format. D3sports.com file photo by Larry Radloff

The 2009 Playoff Handbook has been released and the NCAA made one significant change. In 2009, the NCAA is moving back to the bracket format used between 1993 and 2004 for the Championship round.

Since the Baseball Championship moved from a six-team tournament to an eight-team tournament in 1991, the NCAA has used three different formats. In 1991-92, the two teams emerging after two days with a 2-0 record would play teams from the losers bracket. In 1993 the format was changed so that the 2-0 teams met in a winners bracket final with all teams playing the next day. Starting in 2005, the winner of the winners bracket received a bye.

A proponent of the change was Cortland State coach Joe Brown. "Norm Schoenig and I have pushed this issue to keep the integrity of the game," said Brown. This year the Committee overseeing the NCAA Baseball Championships agreed.

UW-Whitewater coach John Vodenlich has been on both sides. "If you had asked me in 2004, I was neutral regarding the format," said Vodenlich. "After our 2005 national championship, I felt that although we earned the day off by going 3-0, and it was a HUGE benefit. After 2008, I realized that recovering from an early round loss was almost an impossible task. I believe the format should be changed!"

Four times since 1991 a team lost their first game and played in the Championship game. In only one instance did that team win the Championship. Montclair State suffered a 5-1 loss to Cortland State to start the 2000 Championship and went on to defeat St. Thomas twice on the final day for the walnut and bronze trophy. In 2000, both teams had played the same number of games which is not what Cortland State found in 2005. The Red Dragons played two games the day before the championship game, while UW-Whitewater rested. Having played two more games than the Warhawks, Cortland State was in what Vodenlich would later recognize as an impossible task.

Also included in the handbook are the distribution of playoff bids. The 54 bids will be awarded in the following manner: 35 Pool A bids, 5 Pool B bids, and 14 Pool C bids.