FIELD SET FOR 2011 CIT
Tournament expands to 24 teams


March 13, 2011


BOSTON (MA) -- The field for the 2011 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was announced on Sunday evening.

The 24-team field features schools from 15 different conferences, including Conference USA, Missouri Valley and the Mountain West Conference.

“We are extremely pleased with the field we have assembled for the 2011 CIT,” said Riley Wallace who is the chairman of the selection committee. “I think the committee did an outstanding job of identifying teams early on, which made the process easier.”

The majority of the field was already in place on Friday, with programs like Air Force, Furman, East Tennessee State, Iona, Marshall, Northern Iowa, Portland, Rider, Santa Clara SMU and Valparaiso all committing well in advance of selection Sunday.

Some schools were still hopeful of a spot in the NIT, which is something that Wallace and the selection committee fully understood.

“We want programs to get into the NCAA or the NIT,” said Wallace. “When we started this tournament three years ago we did so with the idea that we can provide teams with a postseason opportunity. Our message to the schools was that if the NCAA or NIT didn’t happen the CIT was an option for them.”

Teams like East Tennessee State, Iona, Marshall, Northern Iowa, Portland, Rider and Valparaiso all had resumes worthy of NIT consideration.

Established in 2009 with 16 teams, the tournament expanded to 24 this season. The reasoning behind the expansion was based on the great number of deserving teams that were still left out of the postseason.

“We have looked at a 24-team field since the first tournament in 2009,” said Wallace. “Last season teams like Iona, Maine, Campbell, Radford and other s all had outstanding seasons, but didn’t receive an invitation for postseason. With so many bowl games in college football the idea of adding eight more teams to our tournament was the right move.”

All 24 teams will compete in the first round, with four teams then getting a bye into the quarterfinals. The eight remaining teams will play for the right to advance to the quarters. The entire field will be seeded, based on a number of factors including RPI, strength of schedule, conference ranking, and geographic location.

The entire 24 team field includes Air Force (15-15), Buffalo (18-13), East Carolina (18-15), East Tennessee State (22-11), Furman (22-10), Hawaii (18-12), Idaho (18-13), Iona (22-11), Jacksonville (19-11), Marshall (22-11), North Dakota (19-14), Northern Arizona (19-12), Northern Iowa (19-13), Ohio (18-15), Oral Roberts (19-15), Portland (20-11), Quinnipiac (22-9), Rider (23-10), San Francisco (17-14), Santa Clara (19-14), SMU (17-14), Tennessee Tech (20-12), Western Michigan (20-12) and Valparaiso (23-11).

Every game will be broadcast live through Fox College Sports Broadband, with the championship being televised on Fox College Sports on Wednesday, March 30. The single-elimination format will be played entirely at on-campus sites, which will be determined by seeding.
 

NFL SUPERSTARS JOIN THE CIT SELECTION COMMITTEE
San Diego Chargers Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson will help select teams for the CIT

PRESS RELEASE IN PDF


Feb. 16, 2011


BOSTON (MA) -- NFL superstars Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson, of the San Diego Chargers, have joined the selection committee for the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).

“I am looking forward to working with CollegeInsider.com,” said Gates. “Rewarding teams that have had outstanding seasons is something that I applaud. It will be great to work with Vincent [Jackson] and everyone on the selection committee to assemble to field for the 2011 CIT.”

Gates, a six-time Pro Bowler, is one of the most highly decorated tight ends in NFL history. Named to the NFL's All-Decade Team (2000-09), Gates starred in basketball at Kent State (2001-03) where he was an honorable mention AP All-America as senior and led the Golden Flashes to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament and a school-best No. 12 finish in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. In 2003 the San Diego Chargers signed Gates as free agent. In 2010 he was named to the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major All-Decade Basketball Team.

Jackson, who still holds numerous football records at the University of Northern Colorado, led the basketball team in scoring (13.6) in his junior season. He also averaged 5.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest and was fourth on the team with 24 steals in 2003-04. As a sophomore, he averaged 10.6 points per game for the Bears. Jackson, who was drafted in the second round (61st overall) by the San Diego Chargers in 2006, didn’t play basketball in his final season at UNC to focus on a professional football career. Jackson was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2010.

“I have always loved the game of basketball and I followed it even closer since I played at Northern Colorado,” said Jackson. “In 2010 UNC had its’ best season in school history and that culminated with an appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. I am looking forward to being a part of the process to select teams to participate in the CIT.”

The CIT selection committee consists primarily of retired coaches, including Lefty Driesell, Hugh Durham, Jim Harrick, Lou Henson, Ben Jobe, Jim Phelan and Riley Wallace who serves as the chairman of the committee.

The CIT began in 2009 with 16 teams. Old Dominion was crowned the champion of the inaugural tournament and the following season the Monarchs advanced to the NCAA Tournament and defeated Notre Dame. Missouri State won the 2010 CIT.

The announcement of the 2011 CIT field will be made on Sunday March 13 with the first games played on Tuesday March 15.
 

RILEY WALLACE TO CHAIR CIT SELECTION COMMITEE
The winningest Coach in Hawaii Basketball history to oversee the selection process

Feb. 2, 2010


BOSTON (MA) -- The winningest coach in Hawaii history, Riley Wallace, has been named chairman of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) selection committee.

“I am very pleased to be working with CollegeInsider.com,” said Wallace. “I think speak for countless coaches when I say that CollegeInsider.com has been a major asset to the game of college basketball. This tournament was created to give deserving teams, which would otherwise be overlooked, a chance to compete for a postseason championship. “

The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament is a single-elimination men’s Division I college basketball tournament. The CIT consists of five rounds, with all five rounds being played at on-campus sites. Those sites will be determined through a seeding process.

Old Dominion defeated Bradley to win the inaugural tournament last year, which included teams from 11 different conferences. Among the highlights of the tournament  was a 75-foot buzzer beater,, believed to be the longest game winning shot in Division I postseason history.

“Last year’s tournament was a major success,” said Wallace. “Bradley’s 75-footer that beat Oakland will be the lasting moment, but there were a lot of highlights. The goal now is to make the 2010 tournament even better and we have already taken some steps in that direction.”

One such step came last September with the announcement that the Great West Conference would receive an automatic bid to the CIT. The winner of the conference tournament final, which will be played on March 13, will be the first official entrant to the 2010 CIT.

The seven basketball playing league members of the Great West that will be vying for the bid are Chicago State, Houston Baptist, Texas Pan-American, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah Valley and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

“Giving the Great West an automatic is a great opportunity for the players, coaches and fans for the programs in that conference,” said Wallace. “They are now afforded the same opportunity as teams from other small conferences. They can participate in postseason play.”

Wallace will oversee the entire selection process, which includes an expanded committee of former coaches and administrators. Former DePaul head coach Jerry Wainwright, former UCLA head coach Jim Harrick and former Southern University head coach Ben Jobe are among the new additions to the 17-member selection committee. The process will culminate with the announcement of the 16-team field on Sunday March 14, which will follow the announcement of the 32-team field selected to participate in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).

“The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament is a really good thing for college basketball,” said Wallace. “As a former coach I understand that the NIT selection committee has a difficult task in that they have a limited number of invitations they can extend. With so many deserving teams, the CIT provides the opportunity for 16 teams to continue their seasons. I am excited about the future of this tournament.”

Wallace spent most of his 20 seasons as a head coach at the University of Hawaii, winning a school-best 334 games. During his tenure the Rainbow Warriors advanced to the postseason nine times (3 NCAA tournaments, 6 NIT appearances). Prior to his arrival, the program had just one NCAA appearance and two trips to the NIT in its’ history.

CollegeInsider.com, which has been in existence since 1996, has established seven prestigious awards since its inception. The Ben Jobe Award, Hugh Durham Award, Jim Phelan Award, Lefty Driesell, Lou Henson, Lute Olson and Skip Prosser Award are presented annually at the Final Four.


COLLEGEINSIDER.COM POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT SELECTION COMMITTEE

Riley Wallace (Former head coach, University of Hawaii) * CHAIRMAN OF THE SELECTION COMMITTEE
Alvin Brooks, Sr. (Former assistant coach, University of Kentucky)
Lefty Driesell (Former head coach, University of Maryland)
Hugh Durham (Former head coach, University of Georgia, Jacksonville University)
Pat Flannery (Former head coach, Bucknell University)
Jim Harrick (Former head coach, UCLA, Georgia, Rhode Island)
Lou Henson (Former head coach, University of Illinois, New Mexico State University)
Ben Jobe (Former head coach, Southern University)
Jim Kerwin (Former head coach, Western Illinois University)
Larry Little (Former head coach, University of Hawaii, Centenary College)
Kyle Macy (Former head coach, Morehead State University)
Steve Merfeld (Former head coach, University of Evansville, Hampton University)
Jim Phelan (Former head coach, Mount Saint Mary's University)
Art Santo Domingo (President of Cable Car Classic)
Jerry Wainwright (Former head coach, DePaul University)
Perry Watson (Former head coach, University of Detroit Mercy)
Rich Zvosec (Former head coach, University of Missouri-Kansas City)
 

GREAT WEST CONFERENCE GRANTED AUTOMATIC BID INTO CIT FIELD
The 7-team league will compete for postseason for the first time

Sept. 29, 2009


NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The Great West Conference men's basketball tournament champion has been granted an automatic bid into the CollegeInsider.com Post-season Tournament (CIT), giving the league's first post-season tournament even more meaning.

The Great West and CollegeInsider.com, a nationally recognized website, formed a partnership which grants an automatic qualifier bid to the Great West men's basketball conference tournament champion and will automatically place that winner amongst the field of 16 teams participating in the CIT. The agreement makes the CIT the first post-season college basketball tournament outside the NCAA tournament to agree to an automatic qualifier to any NCAA conference.

"We are very appreciative to CollegeInsider.com to be offered the opportunity for our men's basketball tournament champion to extend its season into post-season play," said Commissioner Ed Grom. "We started this all-sport conference to provide student-athletes the opportunity to play for conference championships. As independent institutions, there was no carrot at the end of the season for their student-athletes to reach for. They now have not only a conference championship to play for, but also inclusion into a quality post-season basketball tournament such as the CollegeInsider.com event."

The CollegeInsider.com Post-season Tournament (CIT), which was played for the first time in March of 2009, features 16 teams not participating in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the National Invitational Tournament. The tournament is single elimination and consists of five rounds, all being played at on-campus sites, which will be determined by seeding.

"I think it's exciting for every school in the Great West to have a chance for post-season play," said Dick Hunsaker, head men's basketball coach at Utah Valley, whose institution will be hosting the tournament March 10-13. "It's a wonderful reward for the conference tournament winner. There is no question this should generate a great deal of excitement for our fans across the conference and provide a boost to the meaning of our post-season tournament. We've had a long wait for the opportunity to earn a berth in post-season play."

The field for the 2010 CIT will be announced on Sunday March 14, following the announcement of the fields for both the NCAA and NIT. First round action will begin on March 16. The championship game, which will be televised nationally on Fox College Sports, will be played on March 30. Old Dominion defeated Bradley (in Peoria, Illinois) to win the inaugural CIT.

"So much of college athletics is opportunity," said Joe Dwyer, co-founder of CollegeInsider.com. "Awarding the Great West Conference an automatic bid to the CIT guarantees the league the opportunity to participate in the post-season. This is a great addition to our tournament."
 

COLLEGEINSIDER.COM ESTABLISHES POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT
The 16-team tournament will be contest in March

Jan. 26, 2009

BOSTON, MA -- CollegeInsider.com is pleased to announce the creation of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, which will begin inaugural play in March 2009. The tournament will feature 16 teams not participating in the NCAA or National Invitational Tournament. The field will be determined after the official announcements of the two existing tournaments. Criteria for selection will include, but are not limited to, win-loss record, strength of schedule, strength of conference, and final ten games.

During the 2007-08 season 67 teams, that finished .500 or better, did not participate in postseason play. Eleven of those 67 teams won 20 or more games, with an additional 20 teams amassing at least 18 wins. The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament will provide a second season for 16 deserving college basketball programs.

The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament is a single-elimination tournament, consisting of four rounds, with the first three rounds being played at on-campus sites, which will be determined by seeding. The inaugural championship game will be played at an on-campus site to be determined by seeding.
 

# # # # #

Eligible Teams
Participating teams must finish the regular season with a winning record against division I opponents. Teams whose conferences have less than fifty-percent (50%) of their teams participating in the NCAA and NIT tournaments will be given higher priority for selection into the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

Selection Committee
A selection committee determines the field of participants. The panel consists of current and former coaches, athletic directors and senior CollegeInsider.com personnel.

· David Adelman (CollegeInsider.com)
· Brian Doyle (CollegeInsider.com)
· Matt Drake (CollegeInsider.com)
· Lefty Driesell (Former head coach, University of Maryland)
· Hugh Durham (Former head coach, University of Georgia)
· Joe Dwyer (CollegeInsider.com)
· Pat Flannery (Former head coach, Bucknell University)
· Lou Henson (Former head coach, University of Illinois)
· Jim Kerwin (Former head coach, Western Illinois University)
· Kyle Macy (Former head coach, Morehead State University)
· Jim Phelan (Former head coach, Mount St. Mary’s)
· Nolan Richardson (Former head coach, University of Arkansas)
· Riley Wallace (Former head coach, University of Hawaii)
· Perry Watson (Former head coach, University of Detroit)
· Rich Zvosec (Former head coach, UMKC)

Tournament Committee
The following will serve in a business capacity, organizing and carrying out all things related to the tournament, but will not participate in the team selection process for the tournament.

· Gene Keady (Former head coach, Purdue University)
· Jason Belzer (President, Game, Inc.): Event Management.
· Chris Fuller (Former head coach, Morgan State University)
· Don Harnum (Director of Athletics, Rider University):
· Angela Lento (Co-Founder CollegeInsider.com): Director of Tournament operations.
· Gary Stewart (Head men’s coach, UC Davis and member of the NABC board of directors)
· Dee Stokes (Head women’s coach, Winston Salem State and member of the NABC)
 

# # # # #
 

About CollegeInsider.com
CollegeInsider.com, Inc. was originally established in 1995 as a regional newsletter. The product became an online presence in 1996, with college coaches taking active participation in 1997.

CI has developed an implemented unique and creative content like Coach Columns, The Mid-Major Top 25 © and The Runway to the Fashionable Four ©.

The Mid-Major Top 25 is now in its tenth year of existence and, with 31 division coaches on the voting panel, is regarded nationally as the measuring stick for programs outside of the traditional power conferences.

The Runway to the Fashionable 4 has become a national phenomenon, having been featured on ESPN and Fox Sports, as well as countless newspapers across the country. It is now in its sixth year of existence and continues to grow. ESPN’s Jay Bilas provided analysis for the 2008 Runway to the Fashionable 4 tournament, which concluded in San Antonio, TX.

CI has also established three national coaching awards, which are presented annually to recipients at the Final Four.

The Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award was created in March, 2003 to honor Jim Phelan is the only person to coach 49 years at one school and coach over 1,300 career games. He has nineteen 20-win seasons and is third in wins on the all-time Division I chart. JimPhelanAward.com

In April 2005 the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year Award was created to recognize the outstanding coaching career of Hugh Durham. Durham built national programs at Florida State and at Georgia where he is also the all-time winningest coach in Bulldog history, having won 297 games in 17 seasons. HughDurhamAward.com

The inaugural Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award was presented to Notre Dame’s Mike Brey at the Final Four in San Antonio, in April 2008. The award, which is named in memory of former Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser who passed away suddenly on July 26, 2007, will be given annually to the division I head coach who best represent the high standards of the coaching profession. Winning with integrity.

Since its inception, CollegeInsider.com, Inc. has worked with such entities as ACSSports.com, Basketball Times, CBS SportsLine.com, FoxSports.com and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

In January of 2003, in partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches, CollegeInsider.com created AllCoachNetwork.com, which is an extensive network of “official” coach websites. ACN is the fastest growing site in the CollegeInsider.com family of websites.