/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45902642/usa-today-8437399.0.jpg)
The California Golden Bears gave it a go, but ultimately they could not make up for their horrid January performance. Cal's bad month of play knocked them out of NCAA Tournament standing, and eventually kept them on the NIT bubble until it popped today. Cal was left out of the NIT bracket reveal.
Cal will now have to decide whether they want to accept a bid in the College Basketball Invitaitonal and get additional postseason seasoning, or decide if they want to throw in the towel for this year. Cal is likely to be a top seed in the CBI if they accept such an invitation. The school would pay $50,000 for the first game they host, $75,000 for the semis, and quite a bit more for any future rounds. Cal has historically not done well at selling tickets for postseason tournaments, so it will really depend on how invested the athletic department is in giving the Bears some additional seasoning and hoping they can recoup some of their investment with a deep run.
For those wondering about NIT seeding, here is the bracket.
UPDATE: Cal has declined a CBI bid. Their season is over.