Big Ten Coaches--Except Bob Knight--Speak Out for a Postseason Tournament

Big Ten basketball coaches, with the exception of Indiana’s Bob Knight, said recently they are in favor of a postseason tournament.

The coaches made their comments at the 22nd annual preseason press conference but said such a tournament would be held only if the 18-game round-robin schedule were reduced to 14 games.

Knight, who in the past three years has refused to attend the conference, was not happy at having to make an appearance. He did so, apparently, because the conference had ruled that any coach not attending would be suspended for one game.

Knight, whose Hoosiers won the NCAA championship last season, chided the Big Ten about the postseason tournament which he said “will decide nothing. Apparently a deal has been set to reduce the conference to 14 games.

“How many players have been asked?” said Knight. “I’ve asked our players and they are against it. Our players enjoy playing everybody twice. And we’re not going to get anymore teams into the NCAA. Talk about exploiting the kids.”

Knight said the tournament would add an extra week to the season and the players would miss three or four more days of classes “just to make more money.”

The tournament, if approved, would be held in the Hoosierdome in Indianapolis and would bank heavily on fans throughtout the state of Indiana for attendance support.

“I have yet to have any fans tell me they would support it,” said Knight.

Among the coaches decidedly in favor of the tournament are Bill Foster of Northwestern, Steve Yoder of Wisconsin and Gary Williams of Ohio State.

Foster said “It could be a spectacular event that it would create more interest in Big Ten basektball.”

Yoder said the players would look forward to the tournament.

“Some teams don’t need it but others would benefit,” said Yoder. “If it means a half-million dollars to a school, do we say we don’t need it? To me it is a positive and don’t tell me about exploiting the players. I think it would be second only to the Final Four (in the NCAA).”

Williams said, “We need the money. It is a natural step. It is something for teams finishing seventh or eighth to look forward to. It would also prepare teams for the NCAA tournament.

The coaches previously voted 9-1 in favor of the tournament and the athletic directors voted 7-3 for it.

Big Ten faculty representatives will vote on it at meetings early in December and conference presidents are expected to take their vote in mid-December.

Big Ten Commissioner Wayne Duke said he did not think the faculty representatives would kill the issue but added that it would need a majority vote of the presidents to pass.

“The coaches are gung-ho for it,” said Duke, “and I understand why Bob (Knight) feels strongly about it. I’m somewhat of a traditionalist myself.”

Duke said some of the athletic directors such as Neale Stoner of Illinois and George King of Purdue are concerned about financial projections with very few new sources of revenue available.

Projections are that such a tournament would raise some $5 million a year.