South Alabama will not be allowed to continue its college basketball season in the NIT after all. The Jaguars had their invitation revoked on account of a heartbreaking clerical error and poor treatment by the NCAA.
Their head coach does not accept an apology from the powers that be. In fact, he vehemently rejected it.
This latest college basketball drama, on the Monday after Selection Sunday, starts and ends with UC Riverside. The Highlanders initially announced that they had accepted a bid to play in the CBI. Not long thereafter, it was announced that the Highlanders were also in the field of 32 for the NIT. Uh oh!
UC Riverside was caught in between the second- and third-level postseason basketball tournaments. The university ultimately went with the better of the two, the NIT, because why would it not?!
South Alabama was treated poorly as a result of the confusion.
As soon as the NCAA found out that the Highlanders were locked into the CBI, it got on the phone with the Jaguars and extended them an invitation to the NIT. They happily accepted.
That phone call took place at 9:30 p.m. South Alabama was told that it was 100% in the NIT so head coach Richie Riley told his players the news. They were thrilled.
And then, about an hour later, the NCAA called back. The Jaguars were back out. They were no longer invited. UC Riverside bailed on the CBI to play in the NIT so South Alabama got the boot. Terrible.
Dan Gavitt, SVP of basketball at the NCAA, issued an apology through a statement on social media.
After the NIT bracket was released Sunday evening, it was brought to the NIT’s attention that one of the teams scheduled to participate in the tournament had also committed to a non-NCAA postseason event. In an effort to secure another participating team, the NIT prematurely extended an invitation to the South Alabama Jaguars, prior to learning that the original team chose to accept its invitation to the NIT. Regrettably, the NIT rescinded its invitation to South Alabama. We understand the emotional impact this confusion created, and we sincerely apologize to South Alabama, Head Coach Richie Riley, and all the student-athletes for the error.
— Dan Gavitt
Basically, too bad, so sad. The NCAA issued an apology — that seems like it was written entirely by a computer (A.I.) — and moved on. Richie Riley does not accept the apology.
A meaningless apology to the most meaningful group of players I’ve ever coached! What they did to us last night is inexcusable! These guys in our locker room don’t deserve this and it’s sad your idea of making it right is a copy and paste apology!
— Richie Riley
I hate this for the Jaguars. A team that finished in a four-way tie for first place in the Sun Belt was told by the NCAA that its season would continue. That ended up to be a lie.
The NIT should have, at the very least, called UC Riverside to discuss the confusion before it called South Alabama to extend an invitation. That would’ve been a great place to start, no? We are at the point now that we cannot expect the NCAA to handle anything with any amount of competence. Not even a postseason basketball tournament. What a shame.