Third NCAA Post Season Tournament In the Works

By Trashtalk Superstar


There's an old saying: "two's company, but three's a crowd." The people at the Gazelle Group must not know that colloquialism because they've started the new College Basketball Invitational post season tournament - which, as the third NCAA post season tournament, will compete with the NCAA Tournament and the NIT.

In fairness, a third tournament probably isn't a bad idea. Every year several deserving teams are left out of both the NCAA Tournament and the NIT. And, no doubt, college coaches and players won't object to the creation of another tournament because it will open opportunities for more teams to extend their seasons.

The main hurdle that the College Basketball Invitational will face is likely to be low fan interest. The NIT is a good - and well established - tournament, but it only generates minimal interest. What's worse, major conference teams that get left out of the NCAA Tournament are sometimes slightly less than motivated - and often don't exactly bring their "A-games"- when they step on to courts bearing the NIT logo. A fledgling tournament will face all those obstacles and then some. Add to that the fact that many of its contestants are likely to be good, but relatively unheralded, mid major teams. A late March match up between, let's say, Charlotte and Northern Iowa may make for good basketball, but it not exactly going to beat Dancing With the Stars in the Nielsen ratings.

Personally, I like the idea of a third tournament. But I'm a basketball person, maybe even a "lifer." And bear in mind: I've always kind of liked Arena Football, I liked the idea of the XFL (until I actually saw some of the games), and - when I was a child and just beginning to follow sports - I kind of followed the USFL in its final season or two ... plus, I've actually gone to NIT games ... and CBA games.

Hard core basketball people - like the proprietors of this blog - and hard core gamblers may have some interest in the new tournament. And fans/alums of teams that participate in the tournament may be interested as well. But that's likely to be all the interest the CBI will get.

Good luck to the Gazelle Group and the College Basketball Invitational.