CIT FIRST ROUND vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (3/20)

[mbenecke]

The Falcons are in the postseason!

On Wednesday, March 20, at 7:00pm, our Falcons (20-13) will host the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (21-12) at the Stroh Center in the first round of the CIT, our first appearance in the tournament since 2015.

I haven’t seen any broadcast info yet, but I’ll post it when it comes up.

Go Falcons!

[hammb]

Just saw on Twitter. Dammit spring soccer is starting up already. Man...

[BGSU33]

Since 1975, a stretch of 49 years, BG has one…ONE…measly post-season win. And that was a narrow win over St Francis (PA) in the CIT in 2015 under Chris Jans. No NCAA wins (or appearances for that matter, no NIT wins, no CBI wins, just one lonely win in the CIT against a school many people probably haven’t either heard of or know where it is. BG has a BEYOND PUTRID post season history in the last half century so any win, vs any team, in any tournament could be valuable moving into the next season.

Since 1990, our peers like Kent State has gone to Elite 8; Ohio, Miami, Ball State and EMU have gone to the Sweet 16, and others have gotten to the round of 32 while beating major teams along the way. BG can’t only dream of these feats.

BG is the only school in the MAC to never win the MAC Tournament in its 45 year history. It’s no coincidence that fact exists when you see how pathetic BG’s postseason results are in its history.

This CIT game isn’t going to appear on anyone’s radar. But it’s important to our program. We honestly need to win this game, and a few if possible, to start showing a pulse of any sort in the postseason. In the last half century, BG doesn’t know how to win in the postseason. It’s a proven fact. But this could be a start - even just a tiny one - to begin changing that embarrassing trend in our history.

[guest44]

Since 1975, a stretch of 49 years, BG has one…ONE…measly post-season win. And that was a narrow win over St Francis (PA) in the CIT in 2015 under Chris Jans. No NCAA wins (or appearances for that matter, no NIT wins, no CBI wins, just one lonely win in the CIT against a school many people probably haven’t either heard of or know where it is. BG has a BEYOND PUTRID post season history in the last half century so any win, vs any team, in any tournament could be valuable moving into the next season.

Since 1990, our peers like Kent State has gone to Elite 8; Ohio, Miami, Ball State and EMU have gone to the Sweet 16, and others have gotten to the round of 32 while beating major teams along the way. BG can’t only dream of these feats.

BG is the only school in the MAC to never win the MAC Tournament in its 45 year history. It’s no coincidence that fact exists when you see how pathetic BG’s postseason results are in its history.

This CIT game isn’t going to appear on anyone’s radar. But it’s important to our program. We honestly need to win this game, and a few if possible, to start showing a pulse of any sort in the postseason. In the last half century, BG doesn’t know how to win in the postseason. It’s a proven fact. But this could be a start - even just a tiny one - to begin changing that embarrassing trend in our history.

Are you going to be attendance to witness potential history?

[mbenecke]

It sounds like all games will be available to stream on ESPN+. And it seems like with this format, there will be 2 other teams also playing in BG, and the winners will play the next night in the "regional" championship.

Bracket should be out late tonight.

[Diemilkweed]

ARRRGGGHHHHH

I'll be either on the road to or newly arrived in Chicago for Adepticon and not really able to be in front of a TV.

I was a ball boy the season when we lost the title game of the first ever MAC tourney on our home floor to Ohio. We've never been closer than that. I went to an NIT game I think v Cincinnati before they had a decade or so of being actually good. and they clobbered us.

PLEASE universe, grant us some competence and growth for a few years!

[fanatic13]

It sounds like all games will be available to stream on ESPN+. And it seems like with this format, there will be 2 other teams also playing in BG, and the winners will play the next night in the "regional" championship.

Bracket should be out late tonight.

Wikipedia says FloHoops is tv for first two rounds so I hope you're correct

This is good to give the team and coaches extra time and practice. With the coaching change last year this is needed to help develop some other guys. Also it's been a handful of years since the team did an international travel in the summer to get extra practice and games

[jpfalcon09]

Hopefully Frack money going to good use. I'm not a fan of these other postseason tournaments as they're usually a resources pit.

[guest44]

BG is the only school in the MAC to never win the MAC Tournament in its 45 year history. It’s no coincidence that fact exists when you see how pathetic BG’s postseason results are in its history.

Sorry to nitpick, but doesn’t making the postseason generally come as a direct result of winning the MAC Tournament? If not it’s certainly a road game in the NIT. How the hell would BGSU have postseason success if they haven’t had conference tournament success? Are you going to tell us next that Bowling Green hasn’t won the Preseason NIT? The CBI and CIT have only been around for what 10-15 years, and most of those years BGSU employed Orr and Huger. I’ll be rooting for the Falcons on Wednesday, but also can’t wait for the overreaction post if they lose. A true win/win.

My argument for these tournaments has nothing to do with 1980’s and 1990’s Tournament runs that nobody gives a s**t about. It’s about keeping your team together as the portal opens up and trying engage fans who have 10,000 more options a day than they did back in the 1980’s Ball St was relevant.

[mbenecke]

I really hope they can use this opportunity to bring in big crowds like the women did last year. CIT isn’t as flashy as the WNIT name was, but basketball is basketball. I hope they push this thing hard and people turn out. It’s an investment for the future.

[mbenecke]

There are only 9 teams currently committed to the CIT. So it seems unlikely that it will happen in the 16 team format that they envisioned. For context, the CIT actually wasn't played because of COVID in both 2020 and 2021, and then they rebranded it as "The Basketball Classic" in 2022. There was no tournament in 2023, and then they revived it for 2024, and it's obviously not drawing a ton of interest. Kyle Rowland with The Blade reported that Toledo turned down a bid, for example.

I'm fairly confident that games will be on ESPN+. I also saw the Flo stuff listed like was mentioned above, but I saw in Purdue Fort Wayne's preview that all games will be available on ESPN+, and the "Watch" link on the CIT website takes you to the ESPN+ page, so I'm hopeful that that's accurate.

[tiznow]

Alabama A&M with an 11-21 record is playing Austin Peay.

[mbenecke]

6 of the 9 teams that have been announced as participants so far have better Kenpom rankings than we do. We're ranked 80 spots below Purdue Fort Wayne. Should be some challenging games that can help make this team better.

[maskedopining]

It’s about keeping your team together as the portal opens up and trying engage fans who have 10,000 more options a day than they did back in the 1980’s Ball St was relevant.

I was not all that happy about this when I first heard we are playing in this. However this is a great point Guest44, it keeps your team together and occupied right as the transfer portal opens today.

[BleedOrange]

Just saw on Twitter. Dammit spring soccer is starting up already. Man...

I thank god that I steered my kids away from soccer towards other sports.