Green Bay has filed for a waiver from the NCAA to allow its men’s basketball team to compete in The Basketball Tournament.
The administration at Green Bay argues that participating in the $1 million dollar summer tournament is comparable to taking an overseas exhibition trip. Participating in TBT would save the school a great deal of money in comparison to traveling overseas.
Here is an excerpt from ESPN:
“When you play overseas, these teams that go to France, Spain, Belgium, whatever, those aren’t NCAA-sanctioned games,” Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb said. “So, the NCAA’s argument is, ‘Hey, in summer competition, you can’t play these games in the United States. They’re not NCAA-sanctioned.’ So, if I played this exact same game three hours north of here in Canada, it’d be OK. It doesn’t make sense.”
There is also the cost aspect. For a school like Green Bay — especially as college athletics braces for the House settlement to be finalized — a foreign trip can be cost-prohibitive. By participating in an event like TBT, Green Bay’s waiver request made the case that it would be providing its athletes a similar experience within its means.
“Let’s not worry about the prize money right now, but that could go to a charity, just let us play,” Green Bay athletic director Josh Moon said. “It’s really about our team and trying to give them opportunities.”
