By Brandon Vasquez | Talon Staff
With less than a week before the start of the FCSAA State Tournament, the NJCAA has announced that Tallahassee Community College’s men’s basketball team will not be eligible to participate in this year’s postseason. The decision was made following a post-game altercation after the Eagles’ 82-57 road win against Pensacola State College on Saturday night.
The Eagles end their season with a 19-3 record and a share of the Panhandle Conference Championship. The NJCAA’s announcement presents the second straight season ending prematurely for TCC, with last year’s 27-6 season being cut short due to COVID-19.
The NJCAA has declared the altercation a “non-collegiate incident,” ruling that the entire roster will be charged with a “violent ejection,” which serves as a two-game suspension. TCC next scheduled games were anticipated to be the first round of the state tournament; teams must compete in the state tournament in order to be considered to move on to the national tournament, hence prohibiting the Eagles from postseason eligibility.
The news of TCC’s early postseason exit came on the same day that their first round matchup for the state tournament was to be announced. The state tournament has been scheduled to take place from April 8-10 in Niceville, FL.
TCC Athletic Director Rob Chaney says the team and school has followed all FCSAA and NJCAA protocols since the incident, and will now use the experience to better themselves moving forward.
“While I am sad and disappointed to see our team’s season end in this manner, as a member of the NJCAA, we have a Sportsmanship Code to uphold,” Chaney said in a press release. “Anytime we fall short of that standard, there are consequences and, unfortunately, we will not have the opportunity to compete for a state and national championship.”
