It’s becoming more and more obvious throughout year that the NCAA will never receive a Christmas card from Eastern Illinois women’s soccer coach Steve Ballard.

Here’s what Ballard suggested before his team traveled to Alabama and won its fourth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference Championship.

“I have been given the indication we will be ranked in the position 25 to 32 and the NCAA treated us pretty well last year. We hope for the same,” Ballard said.

Apparently Ballard was receiving his information from the same people who ran the early exit polls for Senator John Kerry.

The Panthers first round draw against the fourth seated Notre Dame Fighting Irish is, without a doubt, criminally insane.

If the numbers are lined up, the NCAA selection committee has informed that the Panthers are the 60th best squad in the nation. 60th? A math major isn’t needed to come to the conclusion these numbers don’t add up.

Take the mid-major aspect out of the equation, after winning the OVC four straight times and being regionally-ranked in the preseason, the NCAA still couldn’t get this mid-major call right.

Before the selection show came on, Ballard was convinced his team was headed to the Ohio to compete against the Big Ten champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

However, it was Bowling Green who drew the sixth-seated Buckeyes after having a stellar record of (10-11-2). If that isn’t enough, Eastern beat them head-to-head earlier this season.

For the sake of argument, let’s say the Panthers can turn the College Cup upside down and defeat Notre Dame. They are looking at a potential matchup against the Dayton Flyers who are on a roll, winning 20 of its 21 matches this season. The road just doesn’t get any easier for this team in a draw that is uphill from the word go.

Ballard said after the announcement of Eastern’s draw, “girls, the impossible goal is always likely.” The sad part of it is these girls have proven they deserve the opportunity to not have to achieve the improbable in the opening round. Apparently, the NCAA doesn’t see it that way. It makes me wonder if they actually can see at all.

Ballard’s squad will need a lot of luck to upset the Irish in its own backyard and if the NCAA luck rubs off them, they may need a miracle.