(03-04-2017 02:34 AM)posterformerlyknownasthedoctor Wrote:  

(03-03-2017 02:58 PM)CoastGuardHawk06 Wrote:  

(03-03-2017 01:01 PM)solohawks Wrote:  It also sucks for UNC Asheville that the Big South doesn't use the Socon way of giving the auto NIT bid. If Winthrop wins the auto nit bid goes to waste

Yeah that seems to only hurt their conference.

I may be mistaken (not gonna go back and re-read stuff), but my impression has been that it's the NIT who does the choosing/selecting. They decide whether or not to take a team such as UNC-A in this case.

I read from a Charleston reporter that due to the way the SoCons rules are, if UNCG is playing ETSU or Furman on Monday that the loser is NOT guaranteed the NIT bid. The NCAA will only allow 1 champion to be guaranteed an NIT bid and the SoCon chose not to do that.

However if UNCG is playing anyone else on Monday they will be guaranteed an NIT bid if they lose. Conversely if ETSU or Furman play on Monday against anyone but UNCG then they too will get an NIT bid if they lose.

Its an interesting way to do it since the NCAA won't allow a conference to protect everyone and ensure at least one of their co conference champs gets an NIT bid. Ideally one of UNCG, ETSU, and Furman would win the SoCon and the other that went the furthest in the tournament would get an NIT bid but the NCAA said no.

Same with Big South, ideally if Winthrop were to win on Sunday UNCA would get the auto NIT bid since they were co champs. But NCAA said no and Big South chose to protect 1 seed Winthrop with auto NIT should they need it