NIT Changes Favor Power 6

MCMLXXX · October 28, 2023

NT80 · October 28, 2023

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/38757643/no-nit-automatic-bids-regular-season-conference-champs

CMP · October 28, 2023

It isn't a competition for the best basketball teams, it is a competition for the best brand$. God forbid we have a repeat of last year...

CMJ · October 28, 2023

That's awful. When they changed the rule 12-15 years ago mandating every regular season champion was assured of a bid in the NIT, that was a tremendous improvement from back in the day when it was more of a free for all. Hell, even the ESPN talking heads thought it was great.

Pavlovs Eagle · October 28, 2023

12 hours ago, CMP said:

It isn't a competition for the best basketball teams, it is a competition for the best brand$. God forbid we have a repeat of last year...

Honestly the most shameful thing the NIT did to their brand and themselves was playing in a 3rd tier off-strip Las Vegas casino's 7k seat arena. The audience and enthusiasm fell with the stage the NIT created for themselves by not playing in MSG.

NT80 · October 28, 2023

13 hours ago, CMP said:

It isn't a competition for the best basketball teams, it is a competition for the best brand$. God forbid we have a repeat of last year...

We defeated a Big12 and Big10 "brand" on our way to the trophy!

greenminer · October 28, 2023

14 hours ago, CMJ said:

That's awful. When they changed the rule 12-15 years ago mandating every regular season champion was assured of a bid in the NIT, that was a tremendous improvement from back in the day when it was more of a free for all. Hell, even the ESPN talking heads thought it was great.

I'm trying to wrap my mind around the reasoning. I thought everybody was on board with the conference champ-autobid thing.

Some serious money must be involved behind this.

CMJ · October 28, 2023

18 minutes ago, greenminer said:

I'm trying to wrap my mind around the reasoning. I thought everybody was on board with the conference champ-autobid thing.

Some serious money must be involved behind this.

Must have been the semis that included 3 "off brand" schools this year.

Salsa_Verde · October 28, 2023

2 hours ago, NT80 said:

We defeated a Big12 and Big10 "brand" on our way to the trophy!

Probably why they’re changing the rules 🫠

Salsa_Verde · October 28, 2023

1 minute ago, CMJ said:

Must have been the semis that included 3 "off brand" schools this year.

FAU and SDSU final four game viewership was really poor from what I’ve read.

CMJ · October 28, 2023

12 minutes ago, Salsa_Verde said:

FAU and SDSU final four game viewership was really poor from what I’ve read.

I meant the NIT semis, but yeah the NCAAs as well.

Censored by Laurie · October 28, 2023

3 hours ago, CMJ said:

I meant the NIT semis, but yeah the NCAAs as well.

Does anyone know how to look up the TV numbers for a final? Wondering if UNT/UAB did substantially lower numbers than the previous two finals…Xavier/A&M and Memphis/Miss. State.

Green Otaku · October 29, 2023

23 hours ago, greenminer said:

I'm trying to wrap my mind around the reasoning. I thought everybody was on board with the conference champ-autobid thing.

Some serious money must be involved behind this.

IIRC they proposed a post-season tournament that would air on Fox that had the best left out teams of the Big12, B1G, and Big East. Ultimately it fell through, but I think this scared the NIT, as such a move would remove any type of importance it has. They are seeing that profitability and eyeballs are more important than competition.

CMJ · October 29, 2023

On 10/28/2023 at 8:13 AM, Pavlovs Eagle said:

Honestly the most shameful thing the NIT did to their brand and themselves was playing in a 3rd tier off-strip Las Vegas casino's 7k seat arena. The audience and enthusiasm fell with the stage the NIT created for themselves by not playing in MSG.

It wasn't the NIT's decision to leave MSG.

NT80 · October 29, 2023

1 hour ago, CMJ said:

It wasn't the NIT's decision to leave MSG.

This is from a March 2022 article. It implies the NIT was accepting bids from other location$...

Nothing has decided beyond 2024, but ESPN reported that the NIT is "accepting bids from numerous venues" to host the next NITs.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/nit-will-reportedly-leave-madison-square-garden-until-at-least-2025/

CMJ · October 29, 2023

47 minutes ago, NT80 said:

This is from a March 2022 article. It implies the NIT was accepting bids from other location$...

Nothing has decided beyond 2024, but ESPN reported that the NIT is "accepting bids from numerous venues" to host the next NITs.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/nit-will-reportedly-leave-madison-square-garden-until-at-least-2025/

Yeah, but that was after MSG had apparently wanted out. The word was that they wanted to be able to host Regional Semis and Finals on a more regular basis (MSG actually very rarely hosted Regionals) and scheduling around having the NCAAs and the NIT made it very tough to also find time for both the Rangers and Knicks to have to be away for multiple weeks.

MrAlien · October 30, 2023

How much would this really change the field? There was always going to be a handful of P6 schools that get invites, and those mid-major bubble schools that dont get an at large bid to the NCAAT will still likely receive invitations.

CMJ · November 1, 2023

On 10/30/2023 at 8:11 AM, MrAlien said:

How much would this really change the field? There was always going to be a handful of P6 schools that get invites, and those mid-major bubble schools that dont get an at large bid to the NCAAT will still likely receive invitations.

There were always at least a handful of schools that won their league regular season title, but didn't win the postseason tourney. They deserve to play in the NIT and they won't now.

MrAlien · November 2, 2023

35 minutes ago, CMJ said:

There were always at least a handful of schools that won their league regular season title, but didn't win the postseason tourney. They deserve to play in the NIT and they won't now.

The rule isn't restricting them from the tournament, just from an auto bid. This may also effect NCAAT selections, perhaps the committee will not feel compelled to select some of those 7th and 8th place P6 schools, if their are already guaranteed a post season in the NIT.

CMJ · November 2, 2023

40 minutes ago, MrAlien said:

The rule isn't restricting them from the tournament, just from an auto bid. This may also effect NCAAT selections, perhaps the committee will not feel compelled to select some of those 7th and 8th place P6 schools, if their are already guaranteed a post season in the NIT.

Let me assure you that the winner of the SWAC regular season isn't getting in the NIT if they don't win their league tournament. The ONLY way they're getting in the NIT is with the auto bid. That's true for about 20 leagues.

Edited November 2, 2023 by CMJ

GMG_Dallas · November 2, 2023

38 minutes ago, MrAlien said:

The rule isn't restricting them from the tournament, just from an auto bid. This may also effect NCAAT selections, perhaps the committee will not feel compelled to select some of those 7th and 8th place P6 schools, if their are already guaranteed a post season in the NIT.

It's not just about the auto bid to get into the tournament. Those 12 auto bid "P6" programs will be the higher seeds and host their first round NIT games. I never got to go to an NIT game but how many UNT fans made lifelong memories by getting to watch UNT host some NIT games the past two seasons? If the new rules had been implemented 2 years ago, Virginia likely would have never come to the Super Pit. These are huge opportunities for programs and dedicated fans to experience hosting highmajor programs that don't happen often for us. It's complete bull sh*t.

MrAlien · November 2, 2023

If it keeps 7th and 8th place P6 teams out of the NCAAT, then it will open up more bids for mid major conferences. If thats how the committee looks at it then I am OK with it.

The "first 4 out" will be given "deference" according to the rule, would assume that means a top seed and a home game. Some in that group are P6 schools, they would have been there anyway in the old rules. You could make the same argument for the "next 4 out" whom typically get the 2 seed (also a home game).

So I dont think it will change a whole lot, there still going to be someone that is left out, what happens to that 13th P6 school? will they stick to the NET rankings?

CMJ · November 2, 2023

5 hours ago, MrAlien said:

If it keeps 7th and 8th place P6 teams out of the NCAAT, then it will open up more bids for mid major conferences. If thats how the committee looks at it then I am OK with it.

The "first 4 out" will be given "deference" according to the rule, would assume that means a top seed and a home game. Some in that group are P6 schools, they would have been there anyway in the old rules. You could make the same argument for the "next 4 out" whom typically get the 2 seed (also a home game).

So I dont think it will change a whole lot, there still going to be someone that is left out, what happens to that 13th P6 school? will they stick to the NET rankings?

It's not keeping the 7th and 8th place Big XII school out of the Big Dance.

MrAlien · November 3, 2023

4 hours ago, CMJ said:

It's not keeping the 7th and 8th place Big XII school out of the Big Dance.

Guess we will have to wait and see how that plays out, and how strictly they follow to the NET.

greenminer · November 3, 2023

10 minutes ago, MrAlien said:

and how strictly they follow to the NET.

They have never strictly followed the NET. IIRC, when they waiver from it, 99% of the time it Is to satisfy a major brand and screw a smaller school out of a bid.

Also, I always suggest not using P5/P6 nomenclature in bball. That is lingo that originated in BCS contracts and, thus, football only. Lazy media mouths have hypnotized the casual fan into using it across all of college sports. To my knowledge, it originally was never intended for bball.

It doesn't drive me crazy when people use it for MBB, it just makes one look less knowledgeable.

Edited November 3, 2023 by greenminer