South Alabama Furious Over NIT Invite Reversal: 'A Complete Farce'
South Alabama is expressing outrage after the NCAA mishandled their invitation to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Initially, the team was informed late Sunday night by the NCAA and Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill that they had secured a spot in the NIT. However, just an hour later, head coach Richie Riley was told the invitation was revoked, leaving the team devastated.
"It’s incredibly unfair to our players," Riley stated. "We have a group with no NIL deals, just underdogs who worked incredibly hard. Now I have to tell them they’re not in the NIT. It’s a complete farce."
The NCAA's decision came after UC Riverside opted for the College Basketball Invitational, freeing up a spot in the NIT. But when UC Riverside decided they wanted back in, the NCAA withdrew South Alabama's invitation to accommodate them. Riley had already informed his players of their participation in the NIT before receiving the disappointing news.
Riley recounted the situation, explaining that he was assured by Gill and NCAA senior vice president Dan Gavitt that their spot was secure. But later that night, they called back to inform him that UC Riverside was reinstated, leaving South Alabama out.
The NIT issued an apology to South Alabama, acknowledging the confusion and its emotional impact. However, Riley dismissed the apology as insincere, expressing his frustration on social media. "What they did to us is inexcusable," he wrote. "Our players don’t deserve this, and a generic apology doesn’t make it right."
South Alabama finished the season with a 21-11 record, sharing the Sun Belt Conference regular season title with Troy, James Madison, and Arkansas State. They were eliminated by Arkansas State in the Sun Belt semifinals, losing 74-71.