March Madness officially starts right about now. Yes, I am writing you from within the Madness. I would not recommend visiting hours at this time. While conference tournaments are, in general, some of the most thrilling games we could ask for, not every conference is created equal. Per NCAA rules, some conference tournament champions may not make the tournament, which feels like a crime of some sort.
Heck, the NCAA even has a link devoted to this rare occurrence. In bold, their official website says "a reminder, winning a conference tournament grants an eligible team an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament."
It's true. There are teams eligible to win their conference tournaments this season that would not qualify for March Madness. This season, that is due to NCAA rules, which note that a team transitioning into Division 1 cannot make the tournament. As great of an underdog story as that would be, please do not get made at me.
Which Division 1 teams aren't eligible for the NCAA Tournament?
Per the NCAA's official website, "East Texas A&M, Le Moyne, Lindenwood, Mercyhurst, Queens, Southern Indiana, Stonehill, St. Thomas and West Georgia are not eligible for the 2025 tournament, as they are still completing transition into DI."
This has already come into play, as St. Thomas faces the Omaha Mavericks in the Summit League final on Sunday. Because of this footnote, St. Thomas cannot make the NCAA Tournament, so Omaha has already qualified. This means they can rest their starters if they choose, preparing for March Madness in the process. As for St. Thomas, they still have a lot to play for in a conference championship. Unfortunately, it will not mean a direct berth in March Madness, though it could cause the NCAA to change their rule.
Why can't St. Thomas and other teams make the NCAA Tournament?
St. Thomas is not allowed in the NCAA Tournament because they are still transitioning to Division 1. It says a lot about their program that in their first year of eligibility, the Tommies were still able to win the Summit League. That is unusual for a program in their first season, especially when making the jump to a new league. However, the NCAA rules are firm in this regard.
I do not necessarily understand this rule, as it lessens the importance of conference tournaments as a whole. Should St. Thomas or any other teams deemed ineligible by NCAA rules win their conference championship games, we will not be the only ones complaining.