The Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT) is the second-oldest and among the most cherished college basketball traditions in the country, running for over 72 years. It has brought together Concordia schools from Ann Arbor, Chicago, Wisconsin, and Nebraska, but this year's event could very well be the last.
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For the hometown Cardinals in Ann Arbor, Mich., it produced a moment they will never forget, as reported by WXYZ in Detroit.
"Got it up as quick as I could and the next thing I knew, the whole crowd was around me and it just didn't feel real. I was trying to soak it in, in the moment, but it was a big blur," said senior guard Jason Jergens after hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater against Concordia Wisconsin on Friday night.
Normally, college basketball in January is all about conference play, but for these schools, the CIT is the event that truly stands out on the calendar.
"Every year around this time, it'll be a week before CIT, and they'll be a bunch of people on campus asking you are you ready for CIT? Are you ready for CIT? And it's like we're ready for tomorrow's conference game," said head coach Ricky Yahn.
Jergens echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the unmatched atmosphere of the tournament. "There's really nothing quite like it, just the atmosphere. It's the greatest atmosphere I've played in just with the crowd and fans," he said.
But with the university making drastic cuts to academic programs and athletics at the end of the school year, the future of both the CIT and Concordia Athletics is uncertain. "Our guys will go to class until the end of this semester, but once this season ends, then our basketball program pretty much is done," Yahn explained.
The announcement has cast a shadow over the team, with players facing the reality of jobs being lost and underclassmen needing to transfer to continue their athletic careers. It marks the end of an era for the school and the state's basketball history.
"I think the hardest part has just been accepting the finality of everything... I think the good moments we've had this year, where we've seen the glimpses of the team we could become, just knowing we won't have a chance to do that," said Yahn, his voice tinged with the weight of the closure.
For Jergens and his teammates, the finality of it all has only made them more determined to enjoy each moment.
"You never know when it's your last chance to play basketball and I think we've all taken that in and come together and really try to enjoy every moment, and this weekend was kind of the highlight of our year," he said. "It hasn't exactly gone our way, but... just with the school closing down and stuff, it's really brought us all together and pushed us to be better and enjoy every moment that we get."
With the season winding down, Yahn and his players are focused on one goal: to make the conference tournament and extend their season for as long as possible.
"Our goal is to make the conference tournament and to keep this ride going for as long as we can," Yahn said.
