Cal.E.'s Korner

Cal.E. Katt:

I suppose I should start writing our…my blog, but it’s time for today, but it’s time for my favorite podcast that has been picked up by radio stations in Southeast Texas.

And now, KEEP/KEEN/KING Anahuac, Hamaker Winnie present the Joe Groan Show with the host,  one-hundred-thirty-eighth ranked podcaster in the northwestern corner of Southeast Texas, JOE GROAN!

Oh, oh, oh, oh! It’s the most wonderful time of the year if you’re a college basketball fan.

With the NCAA tournament still in its first round, only 0.02% of people where were trying to predict a perfect bracket still have a chance to do that. Upsets abound in the first round of the most prestigious college basketball tournament.

That’s right, folks. The NCAA tournament isn’t the only college basketball tournament that’s taking place currently. The National Invitational Tournament is vying for ratings along with the NCAA tournament. And, for those teams who are desperate enough to play in a post-season tournament, there’s the College Basketball Invitational. There’s a catch, though. The teams that enter the CBI tournament are obligated to pay to play in that tournament. Yes, folks, you heard me right. Teams must pay to play in the CBI.

IF a team is any good at all, it will have gotten into one of the two more prestigious basketball tournaments. The NIT was once more revered than the NCAA tournament. That has changed, but it is still an honor for teams not invited to the “big Dance.” The NCAA Tournament to play in that tournament, unlike the CBI.

I’m guessing that most of the teams involved in the CBI tournament aren’t big money schools like the Universities of Michigan, Alabama, or Texas. I’m also guessing that these teams don’t have the money that big name private universities  such as Notre Dame and USC are able to get from their alumni to attract elite athletes, but some teams in the CBI may just be having an off year. Getting a small imagine a small school with a small, fixed budget getting invited to play in the CBI? The coach and athletic director would need to approach the school’s president and ask for the money to enter the tournament. If the president says ‘no,’ would the coach then approach the players and ask them to contribute some of their NIL money to cover the entry fee for the tournament? Since it’s legal for college athletes to be paid now, that would make sense, or would it?

Any team involved in the CBI probably doesn’t have players who are making a ton of money from the Name, Image, and Likeness, so passing the hat in the locker room to get the money to pay the entry fee for the CBI would make sense, if these teams were any good. Obviously, these are not good teams if they must pay to play in the post season; and subpar teams are usually made up of subpar players. So, where do the schools get the money to enter this tournament? $27,500 is a lot of Lincolns. Add travel and hotel consts, and you are getting in the neighborhood of $100K .

Does Little Sisters of the Poor have any wealthy alumni who are willing to pay an entry fee just so they can say that their alma mater’s basketball team played in the post season/ This seems unlikely. The CBI should stop asking schools to pay to play and find some sponsors. Then, the teams that play in this tournament won’t need to be embarrassed that they had to pay to play in the post season.

This has been Joe Groan, with one man’s (correct) opinion.