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West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey and Attorney General JB McCuskey announced they will seek action against the NCAA Selection Committee after the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team was snubbed from the 2025 NCAA March Madness Tournament on Sunday (March 16).
Morrisey and McCuskey addressed reporters from a podium that spelled out "National Corrupt Athletic Association" on Monday (March 17), less than 24 hours after the Mountaineers learned they were the first team left out of the bracket.
“Last night, like many West Virginians, we sat down to watch the March Madness Selection Committee,” Morrisey said via WSAZ. “Quite frankly, many of us were watching to see how WVU was going to be seated in the tournament. Nearly every single sports fan, pundit, bracketologist, everyone had WVU as a shoo-in for the tournament. In fact, leading up to selection Sunday, 111 out of the 111 bracketologists projected that WVU would make the tournament and for good reason.”
Morrisey acknowledged that University of North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham served as a selection committee chair and was reportedly due an 8.33% bonus of his yearly salary if the Tar Heels made it to the tournament. UNC, which was projected behind several teams, including WVU, was included as a first four play-in team against San Diego State for the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region.
“This stinks at the highest level,” Morrisey said via WSAZ. “This doesn’t pass the smell taste”
“I want folks to let that sink in for a moment,” he added while addressing the reported bonus Cunningham was due to receive for a tournament berth. “Any way you slice it, this thing reeks of corruption.”
McCuskey said he and Morrisey intended to find out the NCAA's logic in how teams were selected.
“What we are asking for is a level of detail and a level of transparency, level of accountability, so teams like West Virginia can plan in the future and say, 'What are we supposed to do to get into the tournament?' We need to know what they are looking for,” McCuskey said via WSAZ.
Morrisey said it was "too soon for litigation" when asked if he and McCuskey would pursue legal action during Monday's press conference.
