Selection Sunday is always tense for bubble teams. South Carolina was sitting on nails — despite starting 15-0, a soft non-conference schedule and a late-season slump caused many to question their credentials.
But when they got the call from an NCAA travel agent saying they'd gotten an at-large bid, all seemed well. Moments later, the Gamecocks were crushed. The NCAA had made a mistake, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
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The NCAA reportedly said they would call South Carolina back in 10 minutes. The return call never came. Vanderbilt made the Tournament instead.
NCAA vice president Dan Gavitt released a statement apologizing for the error and explaining what went wrong:
“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. 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.
While the Gamecocks were given serious consideration, at no time during the selection process was South Carolina voted in to the field. 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 Martin, his staff and team, and the entire University of South Carolina community.”