Update on NIT v. NCAA

The Indianapolis Star had an article last week on the upcoming trial between the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA), which runs the National Invitation Tournament, and the NCAA. You read read a summary of the case in this earlier post (4/5/04) -- basically, the MIBA claims that the NCAA engages in anticompetitive practices by forbidding men's college basketball teams from entering the NIT if they have been extended an invitation to the NCAA. This prevents a team from turning down the NCAA in order to attempt a long run in the NIT, which means a number of home games (and the associated revenue), as well as a chance at a championship (only one team lower than a six-seed has ever won the Final Four).

The NCAA does not seem concerned with the lawsuit.

"There is such a remote possibility the NCAA would lose that we're not uncomfortable at all," NCAA vice president David Berst said. "The difficulty is that the five schools on the MIBA side have the same opinion. We are confident an association can set season limits, rules and say you have to participate in the association's championship."

The case is set for trial in July (Alesia, "NIT will battle NCAA in court -- maybe on it," Indy Star, 04/13/05). Obviously, a ruling against the NCAA would have an enormous impact on Division I men's college basketball.

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