The NCAA has some serious explaining to do after an embarrassing mistake involving the University of South Alabama Men’s Basketball team.
The South Alabama Jaguars (21-11) hoped to receive a bid to the National Invitation Tournament to continue the collegiate basketball season. While the NIT does not have the same pedigree as March Madness and not every team wishes to accept the bid, this was a team that wanted the season to keep going.
In fact, according to Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney, the team was briefly even informed they had made the NIT. Here is more from Sweeney:
“How about this: South Alabama got a call from the NCAA inviting them to the NIT at 9:30 last night because UC Riverside was locked into the CBI. They were told they were told they were 100% in.
The NCAA called back about an hour later to say they no longer had a spot for them… after HC Richie Riley had already told his team they were in.
Terrible.“
As noted by Sweeney, though, this was unfortunately a premature invitation from the committee.
The NIT issued an apology for the mistake, but it was not satisfactory for South Alabama head coach Richie Riley.
Clearly upset that he had to tell his team the invitation was revoked, here is what Riley said on social media:
“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!“
Riley also issued a statement to a reporter as well (via AL.com):
“It’s just unfair for our players,” Riley said. “We’ve got a team with zero NIL. They’re a bunch of underdogs that fought their asses off. And now I have to tell them they’re not in the NIT. It’s just an absolute joke.”
Riley does not intend for the Jaguars to play in any other postseason tournament, like the CBI, noting that it was “NIT or bust” if they didn’t make the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
This is a really unfortunate, awkward, and easily avoidable situation for everyone involved if the NCAA and NIT had handled it better.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: South Alabama called out the NCAA after it rescinded an NIT invite
