Texas Tech: NIT’s Knight in Shining Armor

NIT’s Knight in Shining Armor: In the midst of an uphill battle against the NCAA, the National Invitation Tournament may have found its savior in Texas Tech coach and NCAA icon Bob Knight. NIT officials have filed a case that the NCAA has created a monopoly with its NCAA Tournament, and Knight agrees. He testified that the NCAA is a monopoly and has been trying to destroy the NIT for decades. A winner of three NCAA Tournament championships and one NIT championship, Knight said he might opt to take inexperienced teams to the NIT if he could choose between that post-season tournament and the NCAA Tournament. But NCAA rules require all teams to accept invitations to its tournament. That rule is the heart of the case. To add to the intrigue of Knight becoming the patron saint of the NIT, NCAA president Myles Brand fired Knight when he was president of Indiana.
[8/5/05]