Boys Basketball: Rumble likely to be moved from Valparaiso University

Updated: December 13, 2011 11:10PM

The Region Roundball Rumble likely won’t be able to rumble any longer at Valparaiso University.

The boys high school basketball event, which is sponsored by the Times of Northwest Indiana, runs afoul of a new NCAA rule that states that a member school isn’t allowed to host, sponsor or conduct a nonscholastic basketball practice or competition.

That means games between Andrean and Logansport and Bishop Noll and North Judson, scheduled for Jan. 2, 2012, at the Athletics Recreation Center will probably have to be moved to a different arena. The girls games, played at East Chicago on Dec. 31, according to the Times website, won’t be affected.

Valparaiso University athletic director Mark LaBarbera said the school applied for a waiver to bypass the new rule. However, high school games at Hinkle Fieldhouse, home of Butler; Assembly Hall in Bloomington and Mackey Arena, have all been moved in the last week because of the rule, which has caught the colleges, many of whom were unaware of the conflict, off guard. LaBarbera, who found out about a potential problem a week ago, expects to hear soon from the NCAA on the issue. LaBarbera said his staff told him that the Times is looking at other venues for the Rumble, which has played at the ARC on-and-off for the last six years. The new rule is an attempt by the NCAA to limit undue influence by colleges for exposing potential recruits to the schools.

Under the old rule, the event was considered a scholastic event. Under the new rule, the games are considered nonscholastic because they have a third-party sponsor.

“I think it’s confusing for the schools as to what they can and can’t do,” LaBarbera said.

LaBarbera noted that VU coaches couldn’t even be in the building for the games under the previous rule.

Paul Mullaney, the managing editor for the Times, wrote in an e-mail that the games will be played even if they have to be moved to a different gym.

Bishop Noll coach Drew Trost said he heard that Valparaiso High School and Chesterton were being considered as alternate sites.

“I’d like it be at VU but I just want to play,” Trost said. “I’d be really upset if we couldn’t play.”

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