[Joe Ross]

The elimination structure is easy to explain if you relate it to the NCAA basketball tournament. There, 64 teams are divided into 4 regions. The highest seeded team in the region plays the lowest seeded team in the region. Teams advance to the Sweet 16 (16 teams left, or semifinals in the region), Elite 8, and Final 4. This year, as division finalists, I tell people we made it to (or lost in) the Elite 8. It avoids over-promoting our finish and relates it to something most people already know.