UNI to the NIT

[BCPanther]

And the P5s that are participating are either contractually obligated (SMU, GT, Stanford) or desperate and sub-.500 (Oklahoma State)

[MVCBeat]

Why are they contractually obligated?

[BCPanther]

Why are they contractually obligated?

The ACC has to send at least two representatives as part of their ESPN deal.

[MVCBeat]

The SEC doesn’t?

[BCPanther]

The SEC doesn’t?

Nope. They have auto bids if they want them but they aren't required to fill them like the ACC is. Totally different leverage positions.

[CyCarp]

I am moving in this direction as well. An organized event that gives mid's the opportunity that the majors deny them.

And I agree with BobCat that as they keep chipping away at the number of small conference schools they are willing to take, the magic of the tournament will be lost. Jay Bilas made the right statement with a different meaning on the Bracketology show saying we spend too much time debating the 30th best team in the tournament. He's right but for the wrong reason. No one cares if UNC doesn't make it except UNC. That spot should have gone to a mid major who played well all season only to be upset in the conference tournament. That is the team getting screwed in this. Not UNC. Those mids are the ones that will inject excitement in the opening rounds. A UNC team is not injecting any excitement.

I've said for a while that the play in games should be P5 vs MM. I think that would add an interesting element.

[Username]

Am I the only one that wonders if this is a sign that Bond will be entering the portal

I don’t think it’s a sign either way

i will commend him for at attempting a comeback at all when he did not need to. Whatever he decides I think this is a fair move

[UNI MadCat]

The NIT may effectively become this. It kind of already is. Only four P5s participating this year. If the P5s move to the CBC/opt outs, I hope they keep the NIT. It is full of mid majors that finished 50-125 in NET this year. Good solid teams. I think that is awesome.

Yeah. I definitely didn’t mean mid and low majors shouldn’t be in the NCAA. Just that fewer are getting in making some non-NCAA tourney a de facto mid major championship minus the handful that make it.

[ronfitch]

Yeah. I definitely didn’t mean mid and low majors shouldn’t be in the NCAA. Just that fewer are getting in making some non-NCAA tourney a de facto mid major championship minus the handful that make it.

"June Madness ... I like it."

One solution, from The Onion:

[MVCBeat]

Yeah. I definitely didn’t mean mid and low majors shouldn’t be in the NCAA. Just that fewer are getting in making some non-NCAA tourney a de facto mid major championship minus the handful that make it.

Yeah I agree!