Brian O’Connor’s RPI Cancellation Comments Look Even More Relevant Now

One of the biggest talking points for a second-straight Tuesday is college baseball teams cancelling their midweek games.

No. 13 Mississippi State never had midweek game scheduled for this week, but first-year coach Brian O’Connor addressed that topic last week.

“A lot has been made of teams this time of year canceling games because it's not in their best RPI interest. I don't believe in it,” O’Connor said after Mississippi State’s 15-run win against Nicholls last week. “I believe in karma and I'm not judging anybody that does. We control our own program and the right thing to do is play the games. Because it's an opportunity to get better.”

That attitude stood out last week. It stands out even more  after the memo issued by NCAA Division I Baseball Oversight Committee chairperson Michael Alford. The full text is below, but the short version is simple: canceling midweek games to protect your RPI could hurt your tournament seeding.

Alford wrote:

“On behalf of the NCAA Division I Baseball Oversight Committee, Championship Subcommittee, I wanted to let you know that we are concerned with the practice of cancelling regular season games for reasons other than inclement weather. It is not the intent or spirit of the game to adjust scheduled games in an attempt to strategically impact selection data or metrics.

“As you are aware, when selecting teams for the championship, the championship subcommittee weighs all the available data and the complete body of work. The subcommittee has kept, and will continue to keep, a watchful eye on team schedules and any known reasons for any cancellation. During the subcommittee’s subjective evaluation of teams, games cancelled to avoid the impact on mathematical metrics will be discussed and could have a negative impact on the subcommittee’s evaluation of a team.

“Best of luck to you and your institution for the rest of the college baseball season!”

Based on O’Connor’s comments last week, if the Bulldogs did have a game scheduled this week it would still be played. If there was a game and there was even a hint of internal discussion, Alford’s memo likely shut it down.

But it didn’t stop everyone.

Kentucky announced after the memo went public that it was canceling its midweek game against Northern Kentucky. Boston College and Virginia Tech also canceled theirs, but let’s focus on the SEC example.

Kentucky’s statement read:

“Our team faced multiple extended delays over the weekend, extensive travel days and challenging rest and recovery periods. We play a critically important conference series beginning Thursday that demands putting our student-athletes in the best position possible.”

That’s probably the cleanest way to admit you’re canceling because of RPI risk without actually saying it. Every team deals with travel. Every team deals with rest and recovery. And Kentucky plays in the SEC, where every weekend is a top‑25 matchup. The only difference between previous instances and now is the timing.

The Wildcats host No. 12 Arkansas this weekend in the regular‑season finale and sit squarely on the at‑large bubble. A loss to Northern Kentucky, ranked No. 276 in RPI, would pop that bubble instantly.

If teams are that worried about their RPI standing, why even schedule a game for the final week of the season? Mississippi State may have been ahead of the curve on that one.

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