ETSU Buccaneers Invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament: Will They RSVP?

East Tennessee State has been extended an invitation to play in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) according to Riley Wallace, the chairman of the tournament's selection committee.

"We put out the offer to be in the tournament to ETSU. They're supposed to get back to me in the next day or so," said Wallace.

"They're very deserving. They have good wins, a good coach, and a good team."

The CollegeInsider.com Tournament is one of four postseason men's basketball tournaments held following conference tournament play. The field of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, as well as the College Basketball Invitational, are set in the hours following the release of the NCAA and National Invitation Tournament fields.

Traditionally, the CIT caters to mid-major teams such as ETSU, thanks to a smaller financial commitment from its host teams.  The CBI is more geared toward larger schools with an eye on those in BCS conferences.

"We charge $31,500," said Wallace. "The CBI is more expensive and charges $80,000 to $100,000 for its host teams in the semis and finals."

Road teams in the CIT have their expenses for 22 people paid for them, though ETSU head coach Murry Bartow would not commit to saying the Buccaneers would definitely accept to a postseason tournament bid, if offered.

While the NCAA Tournament fell out of the Bucs' reach last Friday, when they fell to North Florida, 59-55, in the second round of the Atlantic Sun Tournament, there is a chance ETSU could receive a bid to the NIT. However, no team has received an at large bid to the NIT from the Atlantic Sun Conference since the adoption of automatic bids to the tournament in 2006.

Other teams that have reportedly received bids to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, pending acceptance into the NCAA or NIT, include Tennessee Tech, Furman, Marshall, Air Force, and Davidson. A team must have a .500 or better record to be considered for the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, whereas the CBI has no such rule.