nit – Sportscolumn Blog

NIT: Nothing says second rate tourney like Virgina

Poor West Virginia, they are never gonna live this down. Just like sports fans referring to the Chiefs as the “Chefs”, a little gaffe by the company that the NIT folks contracted with to make the championship T-Shirts will make the Mountaineers from now on be referred to as the West Virginas. Who knew a proofreading mistake could provide so much juvenile amusement.

The company said that the correct spelling of West Virginia will be shipped to fans. The West Virgina t-shirts will be collectibles. Just think, only a handful of people associated with the team have that t-shirt. Now, we’re not saying the shirts will have Inverted Jenny status but it should fetch a pretty good buck on ebay.

Links:
[AOL Fanhouse]: Congratulations, West Virgina, NIT Champions

Why didn’t Drexel and Syracuse get into the tourney? Money

We’ve heard a lot of theories of the selection committee setting up matches not because of relative strength of teams but because of possible second round matchups that would be phenomenal for TV ratings. Gonzaga – UCLA anyone? Well, this is the first we’ve heard of the reasoning why teams like Syracuse and Drexel didn’t get in this year.

Two years ago, the NCAA bought – that’s right, the organization spent more than $50 million to purchase – the National Invitation Tournament. The other tournament, March Not-So-Madness, had gone along very nicely for years by hosting the NCAA’s rejects in a separate-but-unequal shadow tournament.

Now the NCAA owns it. Now the NCAA has incentive to make sure some attractive teams are available for the NIT field. The committee can’t get away with sending Wisconsin and Pittsburgh to the NIT – even Dick Vitale would figure that scam out – but it can send a few big programs from a few big markets.

Drexel and Syracuse, Kansas State and Florida State. They will draw nice crowds and decent TV ratings to their NIT games.

As if Drexel and Syracuse fans aren’t pissed enough. Now they find out that they didn’t make the tourney cause they are too good… for TV ratings anyway.

Links:
[Philly.com]: Phil Sheridan | Enough unfair exclusions: Add teams