(03-17-2014 12:13 PM)bullet Wrote: I know it generally has the non-P5, but I haven't heard what its criteria was. Its really hard to get information about these tourneys unless you look at the web site specifically for these tourneys.
Or follow conference boards for a single-bid conference, where the two pay-to-host tournaments often represent a majority of teams in post-season play.
CIT is for "mid-majors" not selected for NCAA or NIT, all of which must have winning records ... CIT has 32 teams (up from 24 in 2011). They aren't specific where the dividing line is in their site, but I see Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, CAA, Horizon, CUSA, Ivy League, Metro Atlantic, MAC, MEAC, MVC, Patriot, SoCon, Southland, SWAC and the Summit represented this year.
The CBI is 16 teams and invites power conference schools if they'll accept the invitation (Texas A&M, Oregon State and Penn State this year), and doesn't have a winning record cut-off ... they include Illinois State at 15-15, ODU at 16-17, Fresno State at 15-16, Tulane at 16-16, Penn State at 15-17, and Siena at 15-17. On their site, they state last 10 games as an explicit selection criteria.
Its more often young teams that take these invitations ... eg, in the MAC, senior-heavy Buffalo is not going, though they would have likely been invited by one or both ... for the extra practices and extra games. You have to win to get on CBSSN, which covers a couple of CBI Quarterfinals and the best of three championship series, and the CIT semifinals and tournament championship game.