Univ. Of Washington Commits To Inaugural CBI Tournament

The Univ. of Washington (UW) has "agreed to pay the $60,000 minimum to the Gazelle Group putting together the College Basketball Invitational" (CBI), the first alternative to the NCAA and NIT postseason tournaments since '75, according to Greg Johns of the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER. However, with CBI organizers "scrambling to get schools to commit to the $60,000 guarantee required to host each game" of the tournament, the Univ. of Washington (UW) "didn't learn until near midnight Sunday that they'd be facing Valparaiso" tomorrow at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. With "scarce television revenue available -- games will be broadcast on Fox College Sports, available only as an extra-tier choice of some cable subscribers -- the CBI requires home teams to guarantee revenue." Tickets for the Valparaiso-UW game are $15 for adults and $5 for UW students, meaning UW "likely needs to draw about 5,000 fans to break even." That "figures to be a challenge, given the limited time for advance ticket sales and general lack of CBI buzz." UW coach Lorenzo Romar: "There's a little bit of concern. This is not something people have been able to plan for. It'd be great if we can get the place full. This isn't the NCAA Tournament, but it is postseason" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 3/18). 

DECLINED INVITATION: Gazelle Group President Rick Giles said that "at least a handful of teams declined to participate" in the 16-team tournament. He said that he "thinks some schools were pressured by the NCAA to play in the NIT, which it has owned since 2005." Giles: "We were surprised that a few teams had given us indications that they wanted to play and wanted to continue playing even if they didn't make the NIT, and when they didn't make the NIT for whatever reason changed their minds" (AP, 3/17).