LET THE BOYS PLAY: A Team Currently Leading Its Conference Has Zero Chance To Make The NCAA Tournament Thanks To A Stupid NCAA Rule

We have yet another dumbass NCAA rule hurting a team that should be in the NCAA Tournament. Meet Bellarmine, a team leading the A-Sun from Louisville and in its first year of Division I basketball. This is now two years in a row that we've had a team transitioning from Division II to Division I not have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament because of an outdated rule. That rule is the transition rule which puts teams on probation for a few years as they transition to Division I. It makes no goddamn sense. If you're good enough to win Division I games and be a Division I program, why have this probation period? The rule is there to allegedly help athletic departments handle the complexity of being a Division I team.

I'm sorry? Isn't winning enough to handle the complexity of making an NCAA Tournament. Sure seems like it to me. Not to mention all Bellarmine is doing is winning. They are 13-5, 10-2 in the A-Sun and are tied with Liberty at the top of the conference. Shit, their only losses are at Duke, at Notre Dame, home to Chattanooga and twice to Lipscomb. That ain't too shabby for a first year program.

Oh, not to mention they are a Barstool team. I was talking to one of their coaches who said the players read the blog and listen to our podcasts religiously. He described them to me as 'regular college dudes who just happen to be tall and play hard.' Sign me up for a team like that every day of the week. Their coach is also fucking hilarious

This is what the NCAA Tournament is supposed to be all about! A good old fashioned Cinderella story. That's Bellarmine! We're seeing more success with these programs making the move to Division I like we did with Merrimack last year and now we have Bellarmine this year. I don't care if the probation period gets cut from 3 years to 2, it should be 0. If you're playing Division I basketball, you should have every right as every other team to win a national title. They have a top-100 offense. They shoot the shit out of the ball. I don't want, I need them in the NCAA Tournament as a frisky 15 seed: 

LET THE BOYS PLAY. I feel obliged to at least blog about them once since the NCAA won't fully recognize them. They are fully recognized here on Barstool Sports. Might have to start our own tournament for all these teams under this stupid ass probation rule.