College Basketball Invitational (CBI) 2009 Field Announced!!!

Well, just in case the NCAA tournament doesn't satisfy your college basketball hunger, you are in luck my friends, and I'm not talking NIT. These games are so exciting you might even get to watch them on your TV, WOW!

For the second year in a row, the lovely folks at the Gazelle Group are putting together a stellar group of high-flying college athletes for the College Basketball Invitational. If you're not lucky enough to grab tickets to these soon to be sold out games, you can catch at least the championship games on HDNet (hopefully).

I already have my DVR set; it's recording HDNet 24 hours a day just in case they try to air these games without notice.

Tournament schedule

First Round: Tuesday, March 17

Northeastern vs. Wyoming – 9 p.m. on HDNet
Arena-Auditorium – Laramie, Wyo.

UTEP vs. Nevada – 11 p.m. on HDNet
Lawlor Events Center – Reno, Nev.

First Round: Wednesday, March 18

St. John's vs. Richmond – 7 p.m.
Robins Center – Richmond, Va.

Vermont vs. Green Bay – 8 p.m.
Resch Center – Green Bay, Wis.

Charleston vs. Troy – 8 p.m.
Trojan Arena – Troy, Ala.

Buffalo vs. Wichita State – 8 p.m. on HDNet
Charles Koch Arena – Wichita, Kans.

Houston vs. Oregon State – 10 p.m. on HDNet
Legendary Gill Coliseum – Corvallis, Ore.

Boise State vs. Stanford – 10 p.m.
Roscoe Maples Pavilion – Stanford, Cal.

Quarterfinals: Monday, March 23

Game 1 – 8 p.m. on HDNet (Site TBD)
Game 2 – 10 p.m. on HDNet (Site TBD)
Game 3 – TBD
Game 4 – TBD

Semifinals: Wednesday, March 25

Game 1 – 8 p.m. on HDNet (Site TBD)
Game 2 – 10 p.m. on HDNet (Site TBD)

"Best of Three" Championship Series

March 30 – TBD
April 1 – TBD
April 3 (if necessary) – TBD

The full bracket and TV info can be found here: Click me to witness history. DO NOT PASS THIS UP!

I heard that if these teams did not want the invite, then any team can buy their way in. Now that is what I call high quality competition. Next year my family will try to open a college and my brothers and I can hopefully buy into this barnburner event. We would love to compete at this level and win the ultimate prize!

At the end of the tourney, it is tradition to unhook the chain net and run, because they weren't authorized to play the championship at their local high school outdoor court.

Finally, I would like to add that this is why High Definition television was invented.

I'm pulling for Houston or Green Bay, because they sound like NFL teams.