Akron's John Groce, Kent State's Rob Senderoff agree changed NIT format not ideal for MAC

The University of Akron and Kent State University men's basketball teams are bitter Mid-American Conference rivals, but they have found common ground.

Zips coach John Groce and Golden Flashes coach Rob Senderoff are united in their displeasure with the modified selection format for the National Invitation Tournament.

The NCAA announced in October conference regular-season champions who don't win their conference tournament and are not otherwise selected to the NCAA Tournament will no longer receive an automatic bid to the NIT.

Instead, the top two teams in the NET rankings not qualifying for the NCAA tourney from each of the following six conferences, regardless of win-loss records, will be selected by the NIT: Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern.

After those 12 schools have been chosen, the NIT committee will pick “the 20 best teams available” for the 32-team field, according to the announcement by the NCAA, which operates the NIT.

In other words, teams from the MAC and other mid-major conferences can expect to be excluded from the NIT field more frequently than in the past.

“Obviously, it isn't what we want,” Groce said. “I think champions should be rewarded. The [regular-season] conference championship is special.”

The MAC Tournament champion will still receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tourney. But if the MAC's regular-season title is captured by a different team, it won't necessarily be NIT-bound like it would have been in previous years.

Kent State won the MAC Tournament last season and punched its ticket to the NCAA tourney, where KSU lost 71-60 to Indiana in the first round. Meanwhile, 2022-23 MAC regular-season champion Toledo appeared in the NIT, falling 90-80 to Michigan in the opening round.

This year, a team like last season's version of Toledo could be left hanging.

Senderoff contended the NET rankings “are skewed against” mid-major programs because teams in the power conferences play each other often and thereby gain an advantage through the formula used.

“Anything that could potentially limit a postseason experience for a school in our league, I think, is detrimental,” Senderoff said.

This year's MAC tourney is scheduled to run March 14-16 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. It will include the top eight teams in the conference standings when the regular season ends.

With two regular-season games remaining, Akron (21-8, 13-3) sits atop the conference standings. Kent State (15-14, 8-8) is tied for sixth with Bowling Green and Western Michigan.

Akron and Kent State have clinched berths in the MAC tourney.

Every college basketball program aspires to qualify for the NCAA tourney, yet only 68 achieve the goal each season.

Of course, some big-time teams have rejected NIT invitations. Still, for the mid-majors who fall short of the NCAA Tournament, being among the 32 teams to compete in the NIT is considered invaluable.

“It's huge,” Groce said. “You play against great competition. It's national exposure.”

Groce explained he was most bothered by when the NCAA made its NIT announcement. It happened on Oct. 27. The Zips opened their season on Nov. 6.

“My thing was just like, 'Wow! Where did this come from — the timing of it?'” Groce said. “The year had already started. Practice had already started. We had already set goals. We're already in the middle of practice, and then all of a sudden we get this.

“I wish they wouldn't have made the change they did, A. And, B, again, my concern was the timing. You just changed the goal post in the middle of the game.”

During a Nov. 1 conference call, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said the NIT's transformation occurred in response to plans for a new postseason tournament expected to begin as early as 2025.

The new tournament would be backed by Fox Sports and played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, according to reports. NIT games will be broadcast by ESPN, with the semifinals and championship held at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Butler University's campus in Indianapolis.

Translation: TV money is at the forefront.

"The NIT has a new, credible and imminent challenge in the competitive postseason space. Every indication is that a new postseason event is planned to start in 2025," Gavitt said, according to ESPN.com. "The event is well-organized, imagined and funded with a competitive broadcast component and location.

"As a result of all that, we believe we needed to change and evolve the NIT to compete with the best available teams and conferences, given new postseason opportunities that are presented to them. The changes are a preemptive attempt to keep the NIT viable long-term, frankly."

Gavitt also said fears the new NIT format would be later implemented by the NCAA Tournament were not “justified.”

Senderoff said he hopes the NCAA tourney never adopts a system akin to the one now used by the NIT because Cinderella teams are part of the “beauty” of March Madness.

“Florida Atlantic in the Final Four may not be best for viewership of that Final Four game … but it's best for the sport,” Senderoff said. “It may not be best for viewership in a single game, but it is best for the tournament itself.”

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On the same day the NCAA dropped the NIT bombshell, MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher issued a statement saying he was “surprised and disappointed” by the decision. Senderoff explained he was pleased with Steinbrecher's public response.

Groce said he and UA athletic director Charles Guthrie discussed the NIT's altered model and view it through the same lens.

“We think it's really unfortunate for our league and our teams,” Groce said.

Despite their differences, Akron and Kent State are in lockstep on this topic.

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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron, Kent State basketball disappointed by new NIT format