[NU Sports] NIT field

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Not sure I like how the NIT field is set these days. I think the seedings are a good idea, but they seem to be going the opposite way of the NCAA in terms of keeping teams as close to home as possible.

It hurts interest in the games with regional rivalries that often are not on the schedule between bigger and smaller league schools. And it's gotta hurt in travel - especially given the short span between NIT rounds. This isn't the NCAA where the schools have a lot of money to cover costs -- is this taking a bite out of NU's athletic budget to head to Oklahoma and then possibly Alabama (as opposed to Iowa and Indiana?).

And it's not just NU (I can see making a lower seed travel), but placing New Mexico as #3 in what could be called their "east" regional and South Carolina as #3 in the "west"?? Doesn't make much sense.

Just a shame to see the opportunity to have NU-KSU in a 4/5 game of purple passion or NU-UK in another battle of Wildcats at 4/5 and get some interest in a Big Ten-SEC game in Rupp Arena. But Tulsa? Yawn.

Doesn't make much basketball or financial sense for all that needless travel and to reduce interest in the games by the fans and viewers.

Still, gotta seize the moment!
GO CATS!!! BEAT THE HURRICANE!
-SjT

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STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!