Tech AD considers postseason ban served

Jackets sitting out ACC’s canceled tourney met goal, Stansbury says.

It ranks among the less germane issues raised by the spread of COVID-19, but Georgia Tech athletic director Todd Stansbury offered his strong opinion Friday that the Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team has effectively served its postseason ban for NCAA recruiting violations. It leaves coach Josh Pastner’s team eligible for the 2021 postseason.

Speaking on a teleconference Friday, Stansbury said he believed that Tech had met the requirements of the ban by sitting out of the ACC tournament, even though it was ultimately canceled due to concerns of the spread of the coronavirus. There was concern among Tech fans that because the ACC tournament wasn’t completed and/or because the NCAA tournament will not be played, that there was a chance that Tech’s decision to accept its postseason ban would not be honored and that Tech would have to sit out of the 2021 postseason.

However, conference tournaments are considered part of the postseason by the NCAA, and the ACC conference tournament began March 10 in Greensboro, N.C., without Tech in it.

“Yes, most definitely,” Stansbury said in response to a question about if his understanding was that Tech had served the ban. “There is some type of formality, a box that needs to be checked, and so right now our attorneys are in the process of getting that done with the NCAA. But I definitely feel like we’ve fulfilled our obligation based on us not play

Georgia Tech athleticdirector Todd Stansbury contends Yellow Jackets should now be eligible for basketball’s 2021 postseason.