How Other Men’s Sports Impact a Division I Conference’s Ability to Earn an AutomaticBid to NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament
Athletics Veritas is a weekly series aimed at helping higher education executives, faculty, and other stakeholders stay tuned in on trending national issues impacting college athletics, especially NCAA Division I. Athletics Veritas is created by senior DI athletic administrators around the nation.
Term-in-Ology: How Other Men’s Sports Impact a Division I Conference’s Ability to Earn an Automatic Bid to NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament
Under the NCAA’s Championships’ legislative requirements outlined in Division I Bylaw 18, in order for a conference to receive an automatic qualification bid to the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, a conference shall meet the following additional requirements:
It shall determine a conference champion in at least six men's sports [at least two of which must be team sports]; and in each of these six sports, at least six of the conference's member institutions shall sponsor the sport on the varsity intercollegiate level; and
It shall conduct double round-robin, in-season conference competition, or a minimum of 14 conference games, before declaring its champion in basketball.
Interestingly, the golden ticket that is an automatic qualifying bid to Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament -- aka March Madness -- is premised on how the conference determines a conference champion in at least six men’s sports, not just how it operates its conference’s men’s basketball schedule.
In light of the pandemic causing Division I conferences and institutions to halt play in specific sports, the NCAA Division I Council waived this requirement that a conference must determine a champion in at least six men’s sports (two of which must be team sports) in order to be eligible for an automatic qualification in the men’s basketball championship for 2020-21.
Whether Division I conferences and their member schools’ men’s basketball teams actually participate in their conference basketball tournaments has become a hot-button topic. Some believe skipping the conference tournament is the most prudent way to avoid COVID-19 positives and best position its team to compete with a full roster in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for the ultimate prize -- a national championship.
Athletics Veritas is presented for information purposes only and should not be considered advice or counsel on NCAA compliance matters. For guidance on NCAA rules and processes, always consult your university’s athletics compliance office, conference office, and/or the NCAA.
