And now, I have analyzed the schedule for the first day at NASA/VCU from 2006.
Let's just get to the point:
Conclusion (tentative, the algorithm might switch it up on day 2):
The set of teams a team could expect to play with or against at NASA/VCU last year was much larger. On average, a 2006 team could expect to play with or against 27 teams in the first day of the regional. In the 2007 regional, a team could expect to play with or against
18 teams.
However, the larger set of teams from 2006 was split up interestingly. A 2006team could expect to see their opponents each match come from a pool of 16.5 teams, while their allies came from a pool of 12.0 teams. In 2007, opponents come from a pool of 13.5 teams, and allies from from a pool of 13.5 teams. So a 2007 team actually has
more variety in allies than in 2006,
but much less variety in opponents.
And here is the raw stats from the first day of the NASA/VCU regional in 2006.
Code:
S = set of teams that a given team played with or against
P = set of teams that a given team played against
A = set of teams that a given team played with
There were 64 teams at this regional
Team Games |S| |P| |A|
116 6 29 17 13
122 5 25 15 11
165 5 25 15 11
222 5 25 15 11
339 5 25 15 11
343 5 25 15 11
345 6 30 18 13
346 5 25 15 11
384 6 29 17 13
388 6 30 18 13
401 6 29 18 13
405 5 25 15 11
414 6 30 18 13
416 6 29 18 13
422 6 30 18 13
435 5 25 15 11
447 6 29 17 13
510 5 25 15 11
539 5 25 15 11
540 6 30 18 13
587 6 30 18 13
600 5 25 15 11
611 6 30 18 13
612 6 30 18 13
617 6 30 18 13
619 6 30 18 13
620 5 25 15 11
623 6 29 17 13
638 7 33 21 14
804 5 25 15 11
843 5 25 15 11
926 5 25 15 11
928 5 25 15 11
975 6 30 18 13
977 6 30 18 13
1002 5 25 15 11
1033 6 30 18 13
1054 6 30 18 13
1086 6 30 18 13
1093 6 29 17 13
1095 6 30 18 13
1132 6 30 18 13
1137 5 25 15 11
1172 5 25 15 11
1184 5 25 15 11
1222 5 25 15 11
1236 6 30 18 13
1262 6 29 18 13
1413 5 25 15 11
1467 5 25 15 11
1522 5 25 15 11
1541 6 30 18 13
1598 5 25 15 11
1599 5 25 15 11
1610 7 33 20 14
1715 6 30 18 13
1731 5 25 15 11
1793 5 25 15 11
1829 6 30 18 13
1830 6 30 18 13
1871 5 25 15 11
1885 5 25 15 11
1907 5 25 15 11
1908 5 25 15 11