The NCAA’s changes to the National Invitation Tournament selection process this year were designed to preserve the viability of the once-storied men’s basketball event in the face of possible competition.
By favoring teams from the power conferences, the logic went, TV viewership would be up, revenue would increase, and it would deal a blow to competing tournaments.
Then the rejections started piling up.
At least eight teams, including seven from the conferences given priority — the Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Southeastern — either declined their invitations or made it known before Selection Sunday that they weren’t interested.
Xavier, at 16-17, was one of the 32 teams included in the NIT and one of five Big East schools in the bracket (a sixth, St. John’s, said no thanks), while much was made of only three teams from the conference making the NCAA tournament’s 68-team field. Seton Hall was the Big East’s only NIT team to win its opener, 75-72 over St. Joseph’s in overtime.