South Carolina misinformed that it made NCAA Tournament

On Selection Sunday, the South Carolina athletic department received a text message congratulating its men's basketball team for making the NCAA Tournament. That was an error, the NCAA told USA Today on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, during the selection show a junior men’s basketball staff member mistakenly sent a text to a member of the University of South Carolina athletics department staff via an app we used for the first time during the 2016 tournament,” NCAA vice president of men’s basketball championships Dan Gavitt said in a statement. “The text was supposed to go to all teams, congratulating them for making the tournament. Regrettably, a text meant for another institution went to South Carolina instead.”

Vanderbilt was the victim of a similar error back in 2009, when a representative of the National Invitation Tournament sent a congratulatory email on the Commodores selection. However, the attached bracket on the NIT email did not include Vanderbilt. A few minutes later, the NIT sent another email to Vanderbilt that said the Commodores in fact had not been invited. Vanderbilt was practicing at the time, and players were later told their season had ended.

This year, Vanderbilt received one of the last four bids to the NCAA Tournament. And for those who believe conference quotas come into play in NCAA Tournament selections, Vanderbilt may have supplanted South Carolina for the SEC’s final spot. The NCAA said South Carolina was never intended to receive a bid.

"While the Gamecocks were given serious consideration, at no time during the selection process was South Carolina voted in to the field,” Gavitt said. “Ultimately, they were one of the last four teams left out of the tournament. I take full responsibility for this clerical error and apologize to Coach (Frank) Martin, his staff and team, and the entire University of South Carolina community.”

Vanderbilt lost 70-50 to Wichita State in the NCAA Tournament First Four. It was coach Kevin Stallings’ final game of a 17-year tenure before taking the Pittsburgh job on Sunday.

Reach Adam Sparks at 615-259-8010 and on Twitter @AdamSparks.