"Doesn’t make sense": Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb slams NCAA rule blocking TBT entry after filing a waiver

Green Bay head coach Doug Gottlieb is advocating for his team to participate in The Basketball Tournament. The tournament has a $1 million prize for the winner in a winner-take-all tournament, which features many high-profile former college players and active pro players. According to ESPN reporter Kyle Bonagura, Green Bay filed the waiver last week.

While Gottlieb acknowledges that The Basketball Tournament does not fall within the NCAA's legislative exceptions, his waiver argues that the tournament is a "suitable replacement for a foreign tour." Gottlieb was quoted by Bonagura criticizing the NCAA for blocking his team's entry into the tournament.

"When you play overseas, these teams that go to France, Spain, Belgium, whatever, those aren’t NCAA-sanctioned games," Gottlieb said. "So the NCAA’s argument is, "Hey, in summer competition, you can’t play these games in the United States. They’re not NCAA-sanctioned." So if I played this exact same game three hours north of here in Canada, it’d be OK. It doesn’t make sense."

Green Bay's athletic director, Josh Moon, also commented on the waiver. He supported Doug Gottlieb and his team, arguing that it is a good opportunity for players from small-school programs to play against elite competition.

"Let’s not worry about the prize money right now, but that could go to a charity, just let us play," Moon said. "It’s really about our team and trying to give them opportunities."

Doug Gottlieb receives support from the Horizon League, Julie Roe Lach, for his waiver

Doug Gottlieb did not file this waiver to play in The Basketball Tournament without the support of many powerful people in the Horizon League. He has the full support of the Horizon League commissioner, Julie Roe Lach. The CEO of The Basketball Tournament, Jon Mugar, also supports Green Bay's participation.

"The idea of undergraduate teams or student-athletes participating and competing against retired players or current professionals overseas or any number of other types of teams that we get is really appealing to us," Mugar said.

"We have a long track record of working with and partnering with universities through alumni teams, and now it makes a lot of sense to do that through their actual teams."

The tournament will take place around the country from July 18 to August 3. Doug Gottlieb is not wrong about this type of experience being a benefit to his players. His team did not perform well in his first season as head coach, only winning four of its 32 games.