Per Bailey Grossetti, Manager - Communications at the ACC.com. I really appreciate him taking the time to respond. 2026 ACC SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEEDING Seeding for the championship will be determined by the regular-season conference game results. The following guidelines will be used: • Head-to-head conference game results are the outcome of games among only the teams involved in the tie. • Overall conference game results are defined as games a team plays against all conference opponents, not just the teams involved in the tie. • Common opponents are teams that have been scheduled by the Conference to play during the regular season. One completed game of a series constitutes a common opponent for tiebreaker purposes. • If one of the seeding criteria cannot be applied because at least one game of the series was not played, the next ordered criteria should be used, unless otherwise stipulated in the procedures below. • In two-team ties, when comparing tied teams and arriving at another group of tied teams, use each team’s winning percent-age against the tied teams as a group, prior to the group’s tie-breaking procedures. For example, if Teams A and B have the same winning percentage when compared to Team C, then Teams A and B will be compared to Team D. But if Team D is tied with Team E, then Teams A and B will be compared by the winning percentage against Teams D and E collectively, not individually. • In three team ties, when comparing tied teams and arriving at another group of tied teams, use each team’s head-to-head conference winning percentage against the tied teams as a group, prior to the group’s tie-breaking procedures. For example, if Teams A, B and C have the same results when compared to Team D, then Teams A, B and C will be compared to Team E. But if Team E is tied with Team F, then Teams A, B and C will be compared by the results against Teams E and F collectively, not individually. • When comparing records against a single team or group of teams, the higher winning percentage shall prevail even if the number of games played against a team or group of teams is unequal. If winning percentage of the tied teams is equal against a team, or a group of tied teams, continue until one team gains an advantage. For example, 2-0 is better than 3-1; 1-0 is the same as 2-0; 2-1 is the same as 4-2; 1-0 is better than 1-1; 0-1 is the same as 0-3. Ties for any seed will be broken by the procedures listed below: Two-Team Tie: a) Winning percentage in head-to-head conference game results. b) Winning percentage against the common opponent(s) occupying the highest position in the overall standings and continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage. In the case of a tie for first place, the next highest position in the regular season standings should be used and continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage. c) Run differential (runs scored minus runs allowed) in head-to-head conference game results where a maximum difference for any one game is +/- 8. For example, if Team A and Team B played only two games of a series with scores of: a. Game 1: Team A wins 6-4 b. Game 2: Team B wins 8-3 c. Team A would have a run differential of -3 (+2, -5 = -3) and Team B would have a run differential of +3 (-2, +5 = +3); therefore, Team B would win the tiebreaker. d) Run differential (runs scored minus runs allowed) in game results among all common opponents where the maximum run differential for any one game is +/- 8. e) Run differential (runs scored minus runs allowed) in overall conference game results where the maximum run differential for any one game is +/- 8. f) If a coin flip is required, the procedure takes place immediately following the conclusion of the last regular-season game prior to the conference championship. The procedure is administered by the Commissioner or a designated assistant. Three-of-More Team Tie: In the case of a three-team tie, if any procedure reduces the tie by one team and two teams remain tied, the Two-Team Tie procedure will be followed, comparing only the remaining tied teams. In the case of a tie among more than three teams, if any procedure reduces the tie by at least one team, then the Three-or-More Team Tie procedure will be restarted. a. Winning percentage in head-to-head conference game results. a. In this criterion only, a tie may be broken if not all teams competed against each other provided that one team either won or lost its series against all of the other teams within the tie AND has a higher or lower “possible” winning percentage than any other teams within the tie could have achieved if all teams had played each other. For example: (they had charts included that don't translate well without picture capability, so take my work that they don't apply because no team in a 3-way tiebreaker player the other two team). b. If a team sweeps both series, they win the tiebreaker. c. If a team gets swept in both series, they lose the tiebreaker. b. Winning percentage against the common opponent(s) occupying the highest position in the standings and continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage. In the case of a tie for first place, the next highest position in the regular-season standings should be used and continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage. c. Run differential (runs scored minus runs allowed) in game results among all common opponents, where the maximum run differential for any one game is +/- 8. d. Run differential (runs scored minus runs allowed) in overall conference game results, Run differential (runs scored minus runs allowed) in game results among all common opponents, where the maximum run differential for any one game is +/- 8. e. If a blind draw is required, the procedure takes place immediately following the conclusion of the last regular-season game prior to the conference championship. The procedure is administered by the Commissioner or a designated assistant.

it has to be BS

X = [product of a logical algorithm] IF X <> [management desire] THEN X = [management desire]

But there is a coin flip in there. Let’s just sweep.