Merrimack's NEC Title Without NCAA Bid Gets National Media Attention

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — It's not often that the college basketball world pays much attention to the goings on in North Andover.

However, in recent days, Merrimack College has gotten its share of national recognition thanks to its 67-66 win over Fairleigh Dickinson in Tuesday's Northeast Conference Tournament Championship game at Lawler Arena.

The Warriors (18-16) celebrated their first ever conference tournament crown after winning the NEC regular season title for a second time in four years.

But the national attention on Merrimack appears to be as much about what the Warriors did not achieve as it is about what they did accomplish.

With Merrimack being in just its fourth year of Division I basketball, the Warriors are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament and NIT due to rules governing transitioning teams. Merrimack finally becomes eligible for the Big Dance next season.

So, Fairleigh Dickinson (19-15) will be representing the NEC in the NCAA Tournament.

On Wednesday, several members of the national media have focused on that storyline.

In the New York Times, Adam Zagoria wrote about the Warriors in story headlined "Merrimack Won a Title, but the N.C.A.A. Tournament Will Have to Wait".

Zagoria pointed out that last season Bellarmine, a Division I transitioning team from Louisville, Kentucky, won the ASUN Conference Tournament, but was forced to miss the NCAAs for the same reason the Warriors are staying home.

Meanwhile, Jace Evans highlighted Merrimack's unusual situation in the USA Today under the headline "Why NEC men's basketball tournament champion Merrimack isn't going to NCAA Tournament."

Jon Rothstein, who covers college basketball for CBS Sports, congratulated the Warriors, though called out the NCAA for the fact that Merrimack participated in the conference tournament at all. Actually the NEC had decided last spring to allow the Warriors to take part in this year's conference tournament.

Rothstein tweeted: "Dear NCAA, Please NEVER again allow a team in 'transition' to play in a postseason tournament if its ineligible for the NCAA Tournament. Sincerely, America. P.S. CONGRATS TO MERRIMACK --- NEC CHAMPS! But FDU goes to the NCAA Tournament.,

Anarchy? Nope. Just Insanity."

It wasn't just the media. Iona head coach Rick Pitino, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer who has led Kentucky and Louisville to national titles, though the latter crown was vacated, also had his say in the matter on social media.

"Once a team is permitted to play Division 1 basketball, they should be automatically eligible for the tournament. NCAA - let's remember it’s about the student athletes!!," Pitino tweeted.

Merrimack head coach Joe Gallo has not complained about the team's plight, often talking about how he was just glad the Warriors were permitted to play in the conference tournament.

"We went in (to the season knowing) we can't go to the NCAA Tournament, we've never been a program that complained about that. We know what we signed up for," Gallo said. "So, that's what it is. Everyone has always asked 'how do you keep these guys motivated?' They just motivate themselves. It's always been about 'who do we play next?'"

After beginning the season 2-12, Merrimack has bounced back in impressive fashion. Tuesday's win, which featured a team-high 23 points by senior Ziggy Reid and 19 points by Jordan Minor, was Merrimack's 11th victory in a row.

There has been talk about Merrimack playing in the third-tier College Basketball Invitational (CBI), a 16-team tournament that takes place March 18-22 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The school has yet to announce if it is pursuing that opportunity.