The good news, Pitt basketball will be able to take part in an “exempt” tournament every year. The bad news, so will everybody else.

The NCAA Management Council has approved a proposal allowing men’s and women’s college basketball teams to compete in one exempt tournament per season, and another that would move up the start of the season.

Among the modifications announced Wednesday are the elimination of a rule prohibiting teams from competing in regular-season tournaments such as the Maui Invitational more than twice in a four-year period. The council also wants to exempt conference tournaments, which now count one game against the NCAA’s regular-season game limit.

Those proposals will be considered by the NCAA’s board of directors April 27. If approved, the new rules would take effect next fall.

Teams would have the option to play 27 regular-season games, plus a preseason tournament such as the NIT Season Tip-Off or Maui Invitational. Teams not involved in tournaments could play up to 29 regular-season games.

The regular season also could start as much as one week earlier on the second Friday of November.

I’m not sure, but I think one of the reasons Pitt wasn’t even mentioned for a tournament last season was that they weren’t eligible. Now, the only thing holding them back is not getting an invite. Now, they can take part in a tournament every year. Of course the pool is also substantially bigger as all 334 teams can take part in a tournament annually.

Or they could schedule 2 more creampuff home games in the non-con to make more money. Not that I think schools would do such a thing. Why just look at the aggressive moves from most schools once the 12th game was added for college football. Okay, bad example.