Oklahoma rejects 2nd opportunity to play postseason basketball

The selection committee was first responsible for Oklahoma not getting to play in the NCAA Tournament, but then it was by their own doing when the Sooners denied a second opportunity to play more basketball this season.

After the Sooners, at 19-15, were the first team left out of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday evening, the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) then released its 32-team bracket moments later, and OU was nowhere to be found, meaning the Sooners rejected an invitation to play in the postseason tournament.

Sooners decline NIT invitation after missing NCAA Tournament

As the first team left out of the Big Dance, the Sooners would have automatically earned an invite to the NIT, which makes the rejection known despite no announcement from OU explaining why as of Sunday night. OU would had been a top seed in the NIT, which would have meant the Sooners could have gotten to host games at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. The OU women's team is also hosting postseason basketball in Norman as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Instead, Auburn, New Mexico, Wake Forest and Tulsa got the No. 1 seeds and will host a region for the NIT. Indiana and San Diego State also rejected NIT invitations after being two of the other first four teams left out with OU. Auburn was the other first four team out, but will compete in the NIT.

Had the Sooners accepted the invite, fans likely would have gotten Bedlam at Lloyd Noble Center with Oklahoma State heading to Tulsa as a 2-seed.

OU has not competed in the NIT since Porter Moser's first season as head coach in 2021-22. The Sooners then declined an invitation to the return to the tournament two years later after again being just left out of the NCAA Tournament.

This college basketball trend of rejecting invites to other postseason tournaments mirrors college football teams and players opting out of bowl games, except Notre Dame was ridiculed for declining a bowl invite after missing the College Football Playoff this year, and it's become normal for college basketball teams to end their season despite having an opportunity to play more games.

The Sooners could still accept an invite to play in The Crown, which has not announced its field yet. But if the Sooners again deny an opportunity to play more basketball, then they, like Notre Dame, should be jeered for rejecting an opportunity to extend their season.