Merrimack basketball Merrimack won the NEC tournament but due to a controversial rule, will be ineligible for the NCAA Tournament.

We’re used to the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. But in Tuesday’s Northeast Conference tournament final against Merrimack, Fairleigh Dickinson pulled the rare double — the thrill of victory and the thrill of defeat.

The Knights fell to the Warriors 67-66. Fairleigh Dickinson’s Demetre Roberts game-winning three-point attempt hit off the back of the rim and Merrimack came away with the win. But the Knights knew that they were in the tournament the second the ball left Roberts’ hands. In fact, they knew it well before then. What’s the reason? A controversial rule.

Prior to the 2019-20 season, Merrimack transferred to Division I from Division II. The NCAA has a four-year reclassification process rule, known informally as the “transition rule,” which states that teams transferring divisions are ineligible for the NCAA and NIT Tournaments. This is true even in cases like Merrimack, when the transferring team is moving up in the ranks.

The Warriors were allowed to participate in the NEC Tournament but ineligible for the bid.

It’s worth noting that Merrimack also won the regular season title. Had the Warriors won the tournament but not the regular season title, the regular season champion would have gotten the bid.

This has happened before — recently. A season ago, ASUN Conference tournament champion Bellarmine was ineligible for the NCAA under the same rule. Merrimack also won the NEC regular season title in 2020 and — while the NCAA and NIT Tournaments weren’t played due to the COVID-19 pandemic — the Warriors weren’t eligible anyway.

Basketball fans were unhappy to see the Warriors victimized by the transition rule.

Fortunately for the Warriors, this is the last year the transition rule will keep them from the tournament. As far as the rule itself goes, the NCAA may do well to rethink a rule that discourages schools from moving up divisions.

[Photo Credit: ESPN]

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