New Basketball Tournament

**EggMcClone** · 11-14-2007, 02:24 PM

Anybody see that a group is starting a new postseason basketball tournament?

College basketball has added a whole new set of initials -- the CBI -- which translates into an entirely new postseason tournament to go along with the NCAAs and the NIT.

Officials of the Gazelle Group announced Wednesday they are starting a new tournament, the College Basketball Invitational, to complement the established events that have ruled the postseason together since 1939.

Gazelle intends for the 16-team event to be played starting this March. The games will be played in campus gyms on a single-elimination basis but will culminate in a three-game championship series.

"There's only a certain amount of spots in the NCAA Tournament, and only a certain amount of spots in the NIT," said the Gazelle Group's Evan Olesh. "We want to give more schools an opportunity."

Olesh said there are no NCAA regulations that would prohibit the existence of another postseason tournament. Although the CBI will fill its field with teams not selected for the NCAA Tournament, its organizers have not decided whether to compete for teams the NIT also wants. The teams will be chosen by a committee, but the composition of that committee is still be determined, as are any plans to televise the event.

The Gazelle Group did produce a mock bracket for a CBI tournament that could have been played last season composed of teams that weren't selected for either the NCAAs or NIT. It included such brand-name schools as Connecticut and Washington, along with accomplished mid-majors Akron and Northern Iowa. "Based on the mock bracket, it wouldn't bee too shabby of a field," Olesh said.

With the NCAA and NIT fields, currently 97 of 336 Division I teams (teams included in the 2006-07 Ratings Percentage Index) compete in the postseason, or 28.8 percent. That's a far lower percentage of teams than compete in postseason games in football's bowl subdivision. With the CBI running, that figure would increase to 33.6 percent.

Kind of hard to believe there's enough of a market for something like this but I guess as long as you're selling tickets and get a few games on TV you'll be making money. Thoughts?

**flander1649** · 11-14-2007, 02:27 PM

They were just looking about it on the radio. They are planning on taking bigger name schools that don't get into the NIT. They are planning on taking 16 teams from the BCS conferences that are around .500.

**CTAClone** · 11-14-2007, 02:27 PM

I think it's good there is another competitor out there, because didn't NCAA buy NIT last year or a couple of years ago? I think it's good to have an independent tourney to compete.

**gocubs2118** · 11-14-2007, 02:31 PM

We would have had a good chance to be in that last year.

**pulse** · 11-14-2007, 02:37 PM

Ugh, just like the NIT, nobody will care as The Tourney is all that really matters. Its nice in theory, but it still won't matter. I have nothing against it, I went to the NIT in NY when we were in it, but its still meaningless.

**dbronco7sc** · 11-14-2007, 02:38 PM

So If Lucca is ineligible... shall we just start him anyway and aim to be the top pick of the CBI??

**ISUFan22** · 11-14-2007, 02:41 PM

As pulse stated, I don't have anything against it - but when do to the postseason bids end?

It seems like college sports are trying to make everyone feel included and give 'em all warm-n-fuzzies.

As Billy Bob Thorton says in Bad Santa...

Well they all can't be winners!

**Cyclonepride** · 11-14-2007, 02:42 PM

Sounds like the peak of irrelevancy. I can't imagine that would be a great idea.

**Drive4cy** · 11-14-2007, 02:43 PM

Now that the NIT isn't a huge joke anymore I don't see the need for another postseason tournament. Why is it that people are afraid to win or lose anymore(22 beat me to it)? It should be an honor to play deep into March, not something 15 win teams deserve to do. If you aren't good enough to get an invite to the NIT you don't deserve to play anymore IMO.

**dbronco7sc** · 11-14-2007, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by ISUFan22

As pulse stated, I don't have anything against it - but when do to the postseason bids end?

It seems like college sports are trying to make everyone feel included and give 'em all warm-n-fuzzies.

As Billy Bob Thorton says in Bad Santa...

Well they all can't be winners!

Just another way to bring in money.

All those teams that NEVER make it to post season... just gives them a better chance... and for those teams this IS the NCAA championship to them... gives their fans a chance to travel and pay to see their team try to win a tourney.

The idea that they are going to try to bring in big name teams that don't make the NCAA tourney kinda ruins that though.

**CTAClone** · 11-14-2007, 04:21 PM

I think I may recant what I said about it being good. Bowl games frustrate me because so many teams get in. (i.e. Iowa) A large majority don't even deserve to get in (i.e. Iowa). Major conferences get special treatment in Bowl Games (i.e. Iowa),which it seems like CBI will do also. I'd much rather see a team from a mid-major or lower conference be able to make the postseason than one from a major conference (i.e. Iowa)

**ISUChippewa** · 11-14-2007, 10:58 PM

Well fellow Cyclone fans, the good news is that even if we don't make the NCAA or NIT tournament, we can still play in the post-season! I came across this article tonight on CBSSportsline.com.

I think it's a good idea, although I don't know if it will be sustainable or not. There are more than 330 Division I basketball teams out there, so it's like the sport is going to be quite as diluted as college football yet.

Here's the link;

NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com