Big 12 says OSU can’t compete in tournament
Oklahoma State’s hope of playing in the Big 12 men’s basketball tournament is officially over.
The Big 12 Conference confirmed to The Oklahoman on Friday what was all but official — the Cowboys will not be granted an exemption to play in the tournament in March in Kansas City, Missouri, due to their ban from the postseason by the NCAA. “That was always a long shot,” OSU coach Mike Boynton said. “I don’t know if that’s ever happened. We just were wanting to make sure we exhausted every possibility.”
When OSU was denied its appeal in early November — receiving a one-year postseason ban, loss of scholarships and other sanctions — the Big 12 offered a glimmer of hope with a statement from commissioner Bob Bowlsby.
“Conference rule prohibits an institution under a NCAA postseason ban from competing in the Big 12 Championship tournament during the effected season,” he said in the Nov. 3 statement. “It has been many years since any of our schools received such a ban and, as a result, I anticipate a policy review by our athletics directors to ensure that current stipulations remain appropriate.”
But written in the NCAA infractions appeals committee’s decision was a specific ban from a conference tournament.
“The men’s basketball team shall end its season with the last regular-season contest and shall not participate in postseason conference or NCAA tournament competition,” the decision read.
There was no way around that for the Big 12.
“We appreciate the conference looking into it,” OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg said. “We questioned
it. We wanted to make sure that there wasn’t anything else that could be done. But since it was written in there that it was the intent, basically all postseason was their intent.”
OSU has 17 games remaining — including a non-conference matchup at Florida — with the season finale set for Saturday, March 5, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena against Texas Tech.
This isn’t much of a shock to the Cowboys. For weeks, Boynton and players have talked about the limited number of games remaining. They never included the conference tournament.
Boynton said last Monday he had not heard from the Big 12 about the tournament. He was focusing on what he could control.
That focus has not changed. “That would have been a super pleasant surprise had they said they were going to allow this,” Boynton said after Saturday’s 64-51 upset of No. 14ranked Texas. “I didn’t want to start with the mindset they were going to allow us.”
Oklahoma State’s hope of playing in the Big 12 men’s basketball tournament is officially over.
The Big 12 Conference confirmed to The Oklahoman on Friday what was all but official — the Cowboys will not be granted an exemption to play in the tournament in March in Kansas City, Missouri, due to their ban from the postseason by the NCAA. “That was always a long shot,” OSU coach Mike Boynton said. “I don’t know if that’s ever happened. We just were wanting to make sure we exhausted every possibility.”
When OSU was denied its appeal in early November — receiving a one-year postseason ban, loss of scholarships and other sanctions — the Big 12 offered a glimmer of hope with a statement from commissioner Bob Bowlsby.
“Conference rule prohibits an institution under a NCAA postseason ban from competing in the Big 12 Championship tournament during the effected season,” he said in the Nov. 3 statement. “It has been many years since any of our schools received such a ban and, as a result, I anticipate a policy review by our athletics directors to ensure that current stipulations remain appropriate.”
But written in the NCAA infractions appeals committee’s decision was a specific ban from a conference tournament.
“The men’s basketball team shall end its season with the last regular-season contest and shall not participate in postseason conference or NCAA tournament competition,” the decision read.
There was no way around that for the Big 12.
“We appreciate the conference looking into it,” OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg said. “We questioned
it. We wanted to make sure that there wasn’t anything else that could be done. But since it was written in there that it was the intent, basically all postseason was their intent.”
OSU has 17 games remaining — including a non-conference matchup at Florida — with the season finale set for Saturday, March 5, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena against Texas Tech.
This isn’t much of a shock to the Cowboys. For weeks, Boynton and players have talked about the limited number of games remaining. They never included the conference tournament.
Boynton said last Monday he had not heard from the Big 12 about the tournament. He was focusing on what he could control.
That focus has not changed. “That would have been a super pleasant surprise had they said they were going to allow this,” Boynton said after Saturday’s 64-51 upset of No. 14ranked Texas. “I didn’t want to start with the mindset they were going to allow us.”
