I know its football time...but I just heard that the NCAA is going to buy the NIT and it may be the end of that very old tournament....How does everyone feel about the NIT going away? I always enjoyed watching the games in between the NCAA games and liked going to the "home games" WVU has been awarded over the yrs from that tourney


Jackson

i SERIOUSLY doubt that it's going away. in fact it most likely won't be altered in any way. miba will still be able to administer it. it's just that it will be owned by the ncaa and the ncaa will be flipping the bill for it rather than miba. the only reason they offered to buy it was to settle the lawsuit.

My understanding is that the NCAAs will now run both the pre-season and post-season NITs in addition to the NCAAs.

The post-season NIT will continue with an emphasis on giving the bubble teams who didn't make it into the NCAAs the best shot of making it to MSG (or whereever the semi-finals and finals) will be played.

Cheers,
Neil

Looks like you guys are right...just dug up this article....it would be a real loss for college hoops if the NIT went away


Jackson


NCAA settlement includes purchase of NIT
From staff reports
NEW YORK — The NCAA has purchased the preseason and postseason National Invitation Tournaments as part of a $56.5 million settlement of a federal antitrust lawsuit with the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA) — an organization comprised of five New York City schools that have owned the NIT events since the 1940s.

NCAA President Myles Brand and New York University president John Sexton announced the agreement at a press conference Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

Terms of the agreement both transfer the ownership of the tournaments ($40.5 million) and end the litigation ($16 million). The combined amounts will be paid over a 10-year period.

The agreement ends litigation that has been ongoing between the two parties for four years.

MIBA sued the NCAA in 2001, claiming antitrust violations with regard to the Association's Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

The trial began Aug. 1 and was suspended Tuesday when lawyers told the court a settlement was imminent. The jury was sent home Tuesday and did not return Wednesday.

"This is an historic day for men's college basketball," said Brand in a statement. "The agreement provides the NCAA with an opportunity to better define the college basketball season and to build on the status of the two NIT events. We intend to grow these tournaments to showcase college basketball and the student-athletes who make the game great."

Operation of the events by the NCAA will commence this fall.

ESPN will continue to broadcast the tournaments.

Finals of the tournaments will continue to be held in the New York City area for at least the next five years.

i would love to see the NIT expanded to 64 teams. EVERY YEAR there are several 20+ win teams from the low-major and mid-major conferences with no post-season play.

I'm sorry, if a UVA can get in at 14-14, then College of Charleston should be rewarded for their great season at 21-9.