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The committee will create a “seed list” (i.e. rank of the teams 1 through 65) which is used as a reference to ensure balance. Once the “seed list” is finalized, it remains unchanged throughout the committee’s deliberations in placing the teams into the championship bracket.

The bracket-placement principles adopted by the committee may preclude a team from being placed in its “true” seed (in accordance with the “seed list”).

Procedures for Seeding the Teams

1. Each committee member lists the best eight teams, not ranked in order, from teams that are in the tournament as automatic qualifiers or at-large selections.



2. Committee members rank the top eight votegetters from No. 1, using a cross-country scoring system.



3. The four institutions receiving the fewest points are moved into the seed list in ascending order of vote total.



4. The remaining four teams are held for the next cross-country ballot.



5. Each committee member lists four additional teams from the automatic qualification and/or at-large group. The top four vote-getters will join the four remaining teams on the next cross-country ballot.



6. Committee members rank the eight teams from Steps No. 4 and No. 5, using a crosscountry scoring system.



7. The four teams receiving the fewest points are moved into the seed list in ascending order.



8. Steps No. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are repeated until all the teams are seeded, 1 through 65, for the seed list.



9. After a team has been voted into the seed list, it may be moved to a different position by a vote of all but two of the eligible voters.



10. The committee is not obligated to seed the lines in chronological order. For example, at any time, the committee may use the procedures to determine the fourth quadrant of teams in the seed list.