In two years, Bellarmine’s men’s basketball program has gone from Division II status to ASUN champions, culminating with Tuesday’s 77–72 win over Jacksonville in the ASUN tournament final. Thanks to a specific NCAA rule, though, this year’s team won’t get a ticket to the Big Dance.
The NCAA’s rules require Bellarmine to wait four seasons until they’re eligible for postseason play, which means Tuesday’s championship game was merely a fight for conference bragging rights. With the Knights taking the conference tournament title, the league’s automatic bid for the NCAA tournament goes to regular season champion Jacksonville State, which lost to Jacksonville in the tournament semifinals.