Green Bay files waiver to play in The Basketball Tournament - ESPN

Green Bay has filed for a waiver from the NCAA to allow its men's basketball team to compete in The Basketball Tournament, the $1 million, winner-take-all summer tournament that features many high-profile college alumni teams and active professional players.

The waiver request, which was filed last week, acknowledges TBT is not certified by the NCAA or fall within legislated exceptions but makes the case it is a suitable replacement for a foreign tour, which permits college programs to travel abroad to play against professional teams once every four years.

«When you play overseas, these teams that go to France, Spain, Belgium, whatever, those aren't NCAA-sanctioned games,» Green Bay coach Doug 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.»

There is also the cost aspect. For a school like Green Bay — especially as college athletics braces for the House settlement to be finalized — a foreign trip can be cost-prohibitive. By participating in an event like TBT, Green Bay's waiver request made the case that it would be providing its athletes a similar experience within its means.

«Let's not worry about the prize money right now, but that could go to a charity, just let us play,» Green Bay athletic director Josh Moon said. «It's really about our team and trying to give them opportunities.»

The original premise of the rule that allows programs to take a foreign trip once every four years was that it gives every athlete a chance to make one such trip while in school. However, with all the movement in college sports in