HBCU basketball was disrespected in postseason tournaments

CIAA

Winston-Salem State women's basketball carried the Black college banner to the CIAA title and Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division II tournament.

Winston-Salem State women should’ve been in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

If any CIAA women’s team was good enough to go all the way, it was WSSU. Oh well, the Rams not only represented the CIAA with excellent play and even better class, but they also raised the bar for all HBCU Division II women’s teams. And let’s not forget the free publicity and recruiting aspect that no amount of money can buy.

Eighteen Division I and II HBCU women’s teams earned postseason bids via the NCAA, WBIT, WNIT and BCIC. Compare that to 10 for the men via the NCAA and BCIC.

At least DII teams can earn more than one spot in the NCAA Tournament, but it’s one-and-done for DI men’s teams.

Alabama A&M chose the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament over the Women’s NIT. The WBIT was founded in 2024 and fully funded by the NCAA.
It takes the top seeds denied a spot in the Big Dance for a chance at redemption. All expenses are paid, games are streamed on ESPN+, with the semifinals and championship broadcast live on ESPNU and ESPN2.

The competition is stiffer. AAMU travels to BYU as opposed to possibly hosting a WNIT game. But to be the best you got to…well, you know the rest.

But let’s not put the WNIT out to pasture just yet. While teams must pay to host, it’s still a respectable tournament that gives mid-majors a chance to shine.
Remember the success HBCUs had last year? Three of the four HBCU teams selected won their first-round games for the first time ever.

The creation of the WBIT opened more spots. The MEAC’s Maryland Eastern Shore earned an automatic berth, but Norfolk State also received an at-large bid. This wouldn’t have happened with no WBIT.

The Black College Invitational Championship is March 27-28 on Virginia State’s campus featuring eight DII teams: Virginia State, Benedict, Bowie State and Central State on the women’s side, and Bluefield State, Central State, Virginia State and Edward Waters on the men’s.

The top DI men’s seeds snubbed by the NCAA can extend their season in the NIT, which used to be the top collegiate postseason tournament back in the day.

The joke is many of those teams don’t want to play in the NIT. Some just flat-out turn down the invite, while others – pressured by the school – show up just to shut folks up.

The NIT was a gem for HBCU DI men’s teams. If the regular season champion got upset in the conference tournament, it knew it had a spot in the NIT.

Until it didn’t.

Trying not to fall further behind the NCAA’s shadow, the NIT revamped its selection process a couple of years ago and eliminated automatic berths for regular season champions. No HBCU team has been invited since.

The College Basketball Invitational, which selected HBCUs in the past, cancelled this year’s tournament. And the College Basketball Crown was created by Fox Sports with the express purpose of focusing on Name, Image and Likeness benefits for teams. Interestingly, the Crown reduced its tournament from 16 teams to eight this year, some with losing records.

Both Howard and Prairie View A&M won their First Four matchups with some exciting basketball. The SWAC has won five of its last six First Four appearances. You’d think folks would get a clue.

Bonitta Best is sports editor at The Triangle Tribune in Durham.

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