Every year, there is a LOT of time spent by the staff (especially the analysts) in assembling a schedule that will give VT a decent RPI/SOS at the end of the year. The Clearwater and Mary Nutter tournaments are INVITATIONALS, so if you are not invited to the party, you have to do the best you can with your own scheduling. There are hours spent on this topic. Scheduling doesn't just happen. The schedule that was put together for the 2026 season was designed to create a decent strength of schedule and it certainly appeared that way when it was released in January. At the time, I researched every team's 2025 record as well as their RPI and it looked really good. Of the first 26 games (all non-conference), there were four games against Super Regional Teams and eight more games against NCAA teams. The was only ONE game against a team with an RPI over 150 (Bryant at 246) and 15 of the 26 games were against teams with an RPI in the top 100. BUT THEN THE GAMES BEGAN. Only five of those teams (six games) met or exceeded their 2025 RPI (ironically one of those was Bryant). The rest had their RPI drop, including eight teams (11 games) that had their RPI DROP OVER 40 PLACES! Three of the team (five games) dropped over 100 places from the previous year. That is simply brutal. The chart below includes the 2025 RPI as well as this year's. It's tough when you are limited weather-wise in February.