Miami University (Ohio) athletic director David Sayler responded to remarks by Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl about the RedHawks men's basketball team's NCAA Tournament prospects.[1][2]

Pearl, during an appearance on a TNT college basketball program, said Miami (Ohio), a Mid-American Conference (MAC) team, would need to win the league's tournament for an automatic bid, citing the program's strength of schedule as insufficient for an at-large selection.[3]

"If we're selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami (Ohio) is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion. Because, as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country," Pearl said.

In an interview with OutKick, Sayler acknowledged Pearl's coaching credentials but questioned his objectivity given Auburn's position near the tournament bubble. Auburn is coached by Pearl, with his son Michael serving as associate head coach.[2]

"I have a lot of respect for him as a coach, but when he starts to use the word ‘We’ about Auburn, that certainly rankles me," Sayler said. "He shouldn’t be on a TV screen giving advice or opinions on the NCAA Tournament when he's clearly biased. There should be a disclaimer on the bottom of the screen or something."

Sayler also addressed broader issues around NCAA Tournament expansion, opposing it as a solution primarily benefiting power conferences rather than mid-majors like those in the MAC. The 2025 MAC Tournament is scheduled for March 13-17 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.[3]

The exchange underscores ongoing debates over at-large bid criteria, where metrics including strength of schedule factor heavily into the NCAA selection committee's decisions.[4]

Sources

1. Miami University Athletics
   David Sayler - Vice President/Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
   Accessed October 10, 2024
   https://miamiredhawks.com/staff-directory/david-sayler/215
2. Auburn University Athletics
   Bruce Pearl - Head Men's Basketball Coach
   Accessed October 10, 2024
   https://auburntigers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/bruce-pearl/1571
3. Mid-American Conference
   Men's Basketball
   Accessed October 10, 2024
   https://getsomemaction.com/sports/mbball/index
4. NCAA.com
   Division I men's basketball committee
   Accessed October 10, 2024
   https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2024-03-17/2024-ncaa-di-mens-basketball-committee-how-teams-are-selected-what-metrics