There were 30 automatic bids awarded to the tournament - of these, 27 were given to the winners of their conference's tournament, while two were awarded to the team with the best regular-season record in their conference ( Big Ten and Ivy League). Another 34 bids were awarded by the NCAA tournament committee at-large to the best teams in the nation not already qualified.
The West Coast Conference had intended to award its automatic bid to its tournament champion. However, after the conference's tournament was cancelled in the wake of the death of Hank Gathers, the automatic bid was awarded to regular-season champion Loyola Marymount. [1]
The American South [2] and Big South [3] both held a conference tournament, but their champions did not receive an automatic bid.
Five conference champions made their first NCAA tournament appearances: Coppin State ( MEAC, Northern Iowa ( Mid-Continent), South Florida ( Sun Belt), Texas Southern ( SWAC), and Towson State ( East Coast)
Conference | Team | Appearance | Last bid |
---|---|---|---|
ACC | Georgia Tech | 7th | 1989 |
Atlantic 10 | Temple | 14th | 1988 |
Big East | Connecticut | 14th | 1979 |
Big Eight | Oklahoma | 12th | 1989 |
Big Sky | Idaho | 4th | 1989 |
Big Ten | Michigan State | 7th | 1986 |
Big West | UNLV | 11th | 1989 |
CAA | Richmond | 4th | 1988 |
East Coast | Towson State | 1st | Never |
Ivy League | Princeton | 16th | 1989 |
MAAC | La Salle | 10th | 1989 |
MAC | Ball State | 4th | 1989 |
MCC | Dayton | 10th | 1985 |
MEAC | Coppin State | 1st | Never |
Metro | Louisville | 21st | 1989 |
Mid-Continent | Northern Iowa | 1st | Never |
Missouri Valley | Illinois State | 5th | 1985 |
NAC | Boston University | 4th | 1988 |
NEC | Robert Morris | 4th | 1989 |
Ohio Valley | Murray State | 4th | 1988 |
Pac-10 | Arizona | 9th | 1989 |
SEC | Alabama | 9th | 1989 |
Southern | East Tennessee State | 3rd | 1989 |
Southland | Northeast Louisiana | 3rd | 1986 |
Sun Belt | South Florida | 1st | Never |
SWAC | Texas Southern | 1st | Never |
SWC | Arkansas | 16th | 1989 |
TAAC | Arkansas–Little Rock | 3rd | 1989 |
WAC | UTEP | 13th | 1989 |
West Coast | Loyola Marymount | 4th | 1989 |
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There were 30 automatic bids awarded to the tournament - of these, 27 were given to the winners of their conference's tournament, while two were awarded to the team with the best regular-season record in their conference ( Big Ten and Ivy League). Another 34 bids were awarded by the NCAA tournament committee at-large to the best teams in the nation not already qualified.
The West Coast Conference had intended to award its automatic bid to its tournament champion. However, after the conference's tournament was cancelled in the wake of the death of Hank Gathers, the automatic bid was awarded to regular-season champion Loyola Marymount. [1]
The American South [2] and Big South [3] both held a conference tournament, but their champions did not receive an automatic bid.
Five conference champions made their first NCAA tournament appearances: Coppin State ( MEAC, Northern Iowa ( Mid-Continent), South Florida ( Sun Belt), Texas Southern ( SWAC), and Towson State ( East Coast)
Conference | Team | Appearance | Last bid |
---|---|---|---|
ACC | Georgia Tech | 7th | 1989 |
Atlantic 10 | Temple | 14th | 1988 |
Big East | Connecticut | 14th | 1979 |
Big Eight | Oklahoma | 12th | 1989 |
Big Sky | Idaho | 4th | 1989 |
Big Ten | Michigan State | 7th | 1986 |
Big West | UNLV | 11th | 1989 |
CAA | Richmond | 4th | 1988 |
East Coast | Towson State | 1st | Never |
Ivy League | Princeton | 16th | 1989 |
MAAC | La Salle | 10th | 1989 |
MAC | Ball State | 4th | 1989 |
MCC | Dayton | 10th | 1985 |
MEAC | Coppin State | 1st | Never |
Metro | Louisville | 21st | 1989 |
Mid-Continent | Northern Iowa | 1st | Never |
Missouri Valley | Illinois State | 5th | 1985 |
NAC | Boston University | 4th | 1988 |
NEC | Robert Morris | 4th | 1989 |
Ohio Valley | Murray State | 4th | 1988 |
Pac-10 | Arizona | 9th | 1989 |
SEC | Alabama | 9th | 1989 |
Southern | East Tennessee State | 3rd | 1989 |
Southland | Northeast Louisiana | 3rd | 1986 |
Sun Belt | South Florida | 1st | Never |
SWAC | Texas Southern | 1st | Never |
SWC | Arkansas | 16th | 1989 |
TAAC | Arkansas–Little Rock | 3rd | 1989 |
WAC | UTEP | 13th | 1989 |
West Coast | Loyola Marymount | 4th | 1989 |
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