UCLA Faces NCAA Tournament Amidst Controversy
The NCAA Tournament selection committee has been facing heavy criticism.
As UCLA prepares to face Utah State in the first round of the men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, the focus is on the court, but the tournament itself is under scrutiny after North Carolina was included over several teams with stronger resumes.
One such team is West Virginia, whose exclusion has sparked such outrage in Morgantown that the state’s governor publicly addressed the decision. Governor Patrick Morrisey stood before a sign mocking the NCAA logo, calling it the “National Corrupt Athletic Association” while threatening legal action and an investigation into the selection committee’s decision-making process.
Indiana was also passed over, further fueling the criticism of the committee’s choices, as multiple more deserving teams were left out for no clear reason. Branding has long influenced the NCAA’s decisions—just look at how Trey Young’s Oklahoma team made it in over a more qualified Oklahoma State in 2018 or how Alabama was chosen over Florida State for the College Football Playoff in 2024.
But this situation feels different and raises concerns of possible corruption, potentially leading to legal intervention.
never thought i would hear a state governor talking ball like this 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/WMlmN4uRke
— Ethan Bock (@ethanbock_) March 17, 2025
North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham chairs the selection committee, and while he wasn’t in the room during the selection process, some believe the governor might be hinting at the possibility that committee members made a decision to favor Cunningham, allowing North Carolina into the tournament in exchange for favors or future influence.
If this proves to be the case, it could lead to a major investigation, especially considering this isn’t Morrisey’s first conflict with the NCAA. As Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports pointed out, Morrisey previously won a lawsuit challenging transfer rules when he served as state attorney general and has suggested the Mountaineers’ exclusion might have been retaliation for that victory.
North Carolina being in the NCAA Tournament over teams like Indiana and West Virginia is a miscarriage of justice.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 17, 2025
However, for UCLA, the priority remains clear: focus on the game ahead. The Bruins need to control what they can and do everything possible to win on Thursday.
It’s unfortunate that the controversy surrounding the tournament could overshadow the sport.
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