Pitino Finally Gets Elusive Big East Crown; List of Automatic Bids

NEW YORK – The Louisville players came bounding off the bench and began jumping up and down and chest-bumping one another all over the Madison Square Garden floor.

With their 76-66 victory over an inspired but worn-out Syracuse team in the Big East Championship game, the top-seeded Cardinals scored the program’s first Big East title.

And they finally gave Rick Pitino the one college title that has eluded him.

Read the full story here.

LIST OF AUTOMATIC BIDS

Akron – Mid-American

Alabama State – Southwestern Athletic

American – Patriot League

Binghamton – America East

Cal State Northridge – Big West

Chattanooga – Southern

Cleveland State – Horizon League

Cornell – Ivy League

East Tennessee State – Atlantic Sun

Gonzaga – West Coast

Louisville – Big East

Memphis – Conference USA

Missouri – Big 12

Morehead State – Ohio VAlley

Morgan State – Mid-Eastern Athletic

North Dakota State – Summit League

Northern Iowa – Missouri Valley

Portland State – Big Sky

Radford – Big South

Robert Morris – Northeast

Siena – MAAC

Temple – Atlantic 10

USC – Pac 10

Utah – Mountain West

Utah State – Western Athletic

Virginia Commonwealth – Colonial Athletic Association

Western Kentucky – Sun Belt