Plight of the Mid Majors (By David Gentile)

After Selection Sunday, a few deserving mid-major programs will head to the NIT instead of the NCAA tournament. The only four mid-major programs that received at-large bids were Butler, Xavier, Dayton, and BYU. Of those four, Butler handed an automatic bid to Cleveland State by losing the Horizon Conference title game, and Xavier and Dayton allowed Temple, a team on the bubble all season, to win the Atlantic 10 title and secure a spot in the dance. With the number of at-large bids decreasing for the mid-majors since 2004, these teams have to do anything they can to impress the tournament committee.

Even with higher RPIs, Creighton (26-7) and San Diego State (23-9) did not make the tournament in favor of teams such as Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. These teams and analysts can argue all they want given the statistics of the regular season, but it will come to no avail. There is only one direction to go from here. If the Blue Jays and Aztecs want to prove the committee wrong, they have to go out and take care of business in the NIT, and beat major conference teams along the way. Creighton may have the chance to play Kentucky and Notre Dame in their regional, the toughest in the 2009 NIT field. Likewise, San Diego State may have the opportunity to play Kansas State, South Carolina, and Washington State in their regional. So if these two elite mid major programs want to avoid another year of heartbreak, the time for them is now. They are playing not only for the interest of their school; they are playing for the interest of mid-majors across America who want to show that they belong in the field of 65 in 2010.