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The West Virginia basketball team will not participate in the NCAA Tournament. The Mountaineers were the first team left out by the selection committee.
The state’s governor and attorney general are now threatening to take action against the powers that be. They believe the committee had motive to leave the school out of the field.
The final team allowed into the bracket was North Carolina. That pick was curious given the Tar Heels’ athletic director’s position as NCAA committee chair.
Bubba Cunningham said he removed himself from the discussion when UNC’s fate was being determined. Still, he received a $100,000 bonus for the team’s inclusion into the field.
West Virginia assistant basketball coach Chester Frazier believes Cunningham’s presence had a direct impact on the Mountaineers.
— Chester Frazier (@WVUCoachFrazier) March 17, 2025
With reasonable cause as to why West Virginia was snubbed for North Carolina, government officials are getting involved. Governor Patrick Morrisey and Attorney General John McCuskey are threatening to take action against the potentially corrupt selection committee.
The duo set up for an emergency press conference on Monday. They say the school has been robbed of financial gain and positive exposure with the NCAA Tournament decision.
Gov. Morrisey and Attorney General JB McCuskey Announce Actions against NCAA Selection Committee https://t.co/ABnaIu6M5H
— Governor Patrick Morrisey (@wvgovernor) March 17, 2025
This is not the first time we’ve seen such processes play out. Not long ago, there was a similar response to Florida State’s undefeated football team being omitted from the College Football Playoff.
The similarities between the situations go a step further than the initial scratch. Not only do both teams believe they were wronged by the selection committees, but both have unexpected injuries to blame for their absences.
The Seminoles were left out due to a leg injury to starting QB Jordan Travis that 2023 season. A December injury to Tucker DeVries was the culprit for the Mountaineers.
Despite the fact that West Virginia played three months of the year without DeVries in the lineup, the committee used the setback as a crutch in justifying their postseason fate.
Even without the guard on the floor, the Mountaineers landed more wins over tournament teams than UNC. Still, the Tar Heels are in, and the Mountaineers are out. West Virginia brass is now taking action.