The snub was seen as so egregious even the conference commissioner felt he had to say something about it. On Monday Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark released a statement via ESPN's Pete Thamel decrying the decision and supporting WVU.

North Carolina posted a 1-12 record in Quad 1 matchups, now the worst winning percentage for an at-large team in the NET era—with its only win coming against No. 7 seed UCLA. Meanwhile, West Virginia went 6-10, with notable wins over No. 8 seed Gonzaga, No. 4 Arizona, No. 7 Kansas, and No. 3 Iowa State.

The stage is officially set for the 2025 NCAA tournament following the Selection Sunday reveal. The Big 12 has a handful of teams in the field for the Big Dance, coming in as the third-best represented conference in all of college basketball.

The top-seeded Cougars headline a contingent of seven Big 12 teams heading to the NCAA tournament, which begins this week.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is in favor of expanding the men’s NCAA Tournament to 76 teams. He also indicated that a decision could come in the next few months, which opens the possibility of any proposed changes being implemented as soon as next year.