For a brief time on Sunday, it appeared South Alabama’s 2024-25 men’s basketball season would continue. Instead, the Jaguars are sitting home. South Alabama coach Richie Riley told AL.com that Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill and NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt called him around 9:30 p.

In need of a team to take UC Riverside’s spot, South Alabama was brought in, but the Highlanders were able to get out of their CBI obligation and were available for the NIT. Because of that, the NCAA had to make a second call about an hour later to the Jaguars to inform them they were no longer invited.

After Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt extended South Alabama an invite to the NIT [National Invitation Tournament] late Sunday night, it was rescinded an hour later in an embarrassing moment for the NCAA and a heartbreaking one for the South Alabama players.