by PX » Wed Jan 29, 2003 2:27 pm
Its not a question of being "eligible" Everyone is eligible right now. For at large bids, the question is what your RPI and strength of schedule rankings are. To have a serious shot at an NCAA at-Large Bid you should have an RPI at least in the 40s. For the NIT, about 75-80, minimum. I think ours is around 100 now. Our Strength of Schedule is better than most years. 18 wins might get a look from the NIT, but to them your attendance numbers, season ticket sales, TV ratings, and the fans travel history is just as or more important. The NIT is in this to make money, pure and simple, and they look for teams that draw well, buy lots of tickets, travel well, and will draw a strong TV audience.
Having a high RPI isnt a guarantee that you will get in. I've seen teams as high as 36 in the RPI get left out, and New Mexico once got an at large bid with a 77 RPI.
The only WAC team that still has a shot at an At-Large bid is Fresno. Everyone else pretty much needs to win the tournament to get in.
A few days ago someone posted that Appalachian State and Oral Roberts would probably be in the tournament, and I think both of them need to win their conference tournament as well, they both have some ugly losses. App State lost to Gardner Webb last night. Both ORU and ASU are near the top of their conference,
and might win their auto bid, but its not a given. Valparaiso is in the same conference as ORU, and Chattanooga, Charleston and Davidson all have legitimate shots to beat App State.