Bellarmine has been shafted in incredible fashion by the NCAA.
The Knights beat Jacksonville in the ASUN conference championship game, but Bellarmine isn’t eligible for March Madness because they’ve only been a D1 team for two seasons and in the four-year year window of ineligibility. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
With the team transitioning to Division I, Bellarmine is the first men’s team in the last 25 seasons to win its conference tournament while being ineligible for postseason play 👀 pic.twitter.com/aUQ56sE0Rm
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 9, 2022
So, despite winning the conference tournament, which should have secured them a bid, regular season champion Jacksonville State will go in their place.
Bellarmine won’t be dancing, despite their conference championship. Even more bizarre is Jacksonville, the runners-up in the ASUN, also won’t advance to the NCAA tournament. That honor goes to the regular season champions Jacksonville State. pic.twitter.com/w2jeBGxpWH
— SB Nation (@SBNation) March 9, 2022
This is the definition of getting hosed and the Knights should raise all kinds of hell about not being allowed into the tournament.
The rules should be simple. If you win your conference tournament, you’re in the Big Dance. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a D1 team for 100 days or 100 years.
This is college basketball. You win, and you’re in! This is what we’ve all been raised to believe.
Bellarmine has won the ASUN Championship but is not eligible for the tourney because it’s still in 4-year transition window into D-1
The regular season champ Jacksonville State will go dancing instead of the runner up, Jacksonville. @stoolbenchmob pic.twitter.com/1d7Cchdtl8
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 8, 2022
Instead, Bellarmine will be watching the NCAA tournament from the couch with the rest of America. Once again, the NCAA is a joke and should be treated as such.
Bellarmine Head Coach Scotty Davenport bought everyone at the local pub a round after winning the ASUN Tournament @stoolbenchmob
pic.twitter.com/ZBN0eEDp1d— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 9, 2022
It’s beyond shameful, and there’s no excuse for the NCAA’s stupid rules. Let the young men play after winning the ASUN conference tournament.