West Virginia’s Tucker DeVries (12) drives past University of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s Matthew Shelton during an NCAA men’s basketball exhibition game Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Morgantown.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (left) and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., attend a ceremony at the Milton Community Center on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025.
West Virginia’s Tucker DeVries (12) drives past University of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s Matthew Shelton during an NCAA men’s basketball exhibition game Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Morgantown.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (left) and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., attend a ceremony at the Milton Community Center on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025.
The omission of the West Virginia University men's basketball team from the 2025 NCAA tournament has sparked a change in the NCAA's selection process.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Friday that major college sports' governing body is making rule changes to the March Madness selection process, the result of demands by Morrisey and West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey.
New NCAA rules for the 2026 tournament require the selection committee chairman to recuse himself during final at-large team selections if his institution is under consideration. Also, if the chairman's team is one of the last four at-large teams, the chairman can't publicly comment on its inclusion.
In the 2024-25 season, WVU went 19-13 with a 6-10 record against Quad 1 squads, while selected teams North Carolina and Xavier went 1-12 and 1-9, respectively.
North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham was head of the selection committee. His term at that post ended after last season.
Cunningham said factors against the Mountaineers included losing in the first round of the Big 12 tournament to lowly Colorado and the absence of injured standout Tucker DeVries, who averaged 14.9 points per game.
“Leaving WVU out of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament was unjustified, and the selection process left fans and supporters in the dark,†Morrisey said in a news release. “I’m proud to announce that our call to action has produced real results to eliminate potential bias and bring more transparency going forward.â€
Many college basketball reporters, including at ESPN, predicted WVU to be one of the last four into the 68-team field.
"When we raise issues, we follow up and do what we say,†Morrisey said. “Eliminating conflicts of interest is important in sports and in real life to ensure that the rules of competition are based upon merit, not special preferences."
