Charleston, W.Va. – Today, Governor Patrick Morrisey and Attorney General JB McCuskey announced an investigation into the National Corrupt Athletic Association (NCAA) and the NCAA Men’s Tournament Selection Committee after West Virginia University (WVU) was left out of the tournament.
“For the NCAA to leave WVU out of the tournament is a miscarriage of justice and a robbery at the highest levels,” said Governor Morrisey. “It’s favoritism at best, and corruption at worst. I am asking West Virginia’s Attorney General to conduct a full investigation, demand transparency, and root out any corruption.”
“Given the major event that the tournament has become, and the massive amount of money associated with it, all fans deserve to know how the selection committee makes its choices. The selection committee of the past is antiquated and it is time for change, to lead with data driven results and transparency,” Attorney General JB McCuskey said. “Just for the teams, those criteria affect scheduling, lineup choices, and more. And as we look ahead to another season, these student-athletes deserve to know the rules of the game and what they might be up against.”
University of North Carolina (UNC) Athletic Director Lawrence “Bubba” Cunningham was the Chairman of the selection committee determining the 68 teams in the tournament. UNC was the final team to make the tournament, while WVU was the first team out. Cunningham also reportedly received up to a $100,000 bonus due to UNC’s inclusion.
WVU Men’s Basketball program was left out of the NCAA Tournament despite six “Quad 1” wins, a major determining factor when selecting teams for the tournament. WVU went 9-0 against “Quad 3” and “Quad 4” teams and defeated three AP Top 10 teams. UNC only had one “Quad 1” victory this season and suffered a loss to a “Quad 3” team.