NCAA News Archive - 2010

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    NIT to maintain status quo

    Apr 22, 2010 3:57:19 PM

    By Gary Brown
    The NCAA News

     

    Thursday's announcement of a 14-year, $10.8 billion broadcast, Internet and wireless rights agreement with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting to present the Division I Men's Basketball Championship has no immediate impact on the NCAA-owned National Invitation Tournament.

    RELATED 

    NCAA signs 14-year TV deal for DI men's basketball: The NCAA on Thursday announced a new 14-year television, internet and wireless rights agreement with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., to present the Division I Men's Basketball Championship beginning in 2011 through 2024 for more than $10.8 billion.

    Contract ink is dry, but bracket decision remains: The size of the tournament field remains in flux until the April 29 meeting of the Division I Board of Directors. 

    CBS, Turner break new ground in partnership: Every tournament game will be shown on either CBS or Turner's family of networks (TBS, TNT and truTV).

    Finances work for NCAA and partners: The new agreement with CBS and Turner Broadcasting will pay the Association $10.8 billion over the next 14 years, or an average of $771 million.

    New committee to review DI distributions: A group of five Division I presidents and four Division I commissioners has been charged with reviewing how the additional revenue will be distributed.

    		  

    Greg Shaheen, NCAA senior vice president of basketball and business strategies, said during the announcement that the expectation is to continue as is with the NIT Season Tip-Off and the NIT postseason "on a go-forward basis."

    "We intend to proceed and have great fields lined up for the years to come in the NIT Season Tip-Off," Shaheen said, also pointing to the "great fields and compelling storylines" the NIT postseason event has had in the five years since the NCAA acquired the tournament.

    Shaheen also addressed next steps for the NCAA's other championships, since the new agreement involves only the Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

    "Our objective was to get to this first step because of the variety of configurations and options that we had to consider," Shaheen said. "With this step completed, now we move to exploring and contemplating where we go and the variety of interests we have regarding the balance of championships and other rights that we have over the long term.

    "Keep in mind that 23 of our championships will continue on ESPN for the next three years."

    Asked whether CBS or Turner would be interested in those rights should they become available, CBS President Sean McManus said, "If they were available, we would certainly take a look at them – sure. It's great programming."

    David Levy, Turner's president of sales, distribution and sports, said the cable network would consider acquiring those rights as well.

    Another notable from the announcement: The new agreement does not include any other championships, radio rights or international rights. Those rights are retained by the NCAA and will be developed separately.