The Virginia Cavaliers were knocked out of the last two NCAA Tournaments by Michigan State, and when this year’s brackets came out, many predicted the Spartans would make it 3-for-3 in the Elite Eight showdown the two teams were slated for. However, Middle Tennessee State’s stunning upset means that Virginia has a significantly clearer path to the Final Four – and UVA fans are showing their gratitude.
A family member who works in the MTSU fundraising office say they've gotten donations from two UVa supporters as a thank you for upset. Yep.
— Austin Bornheim (@ABornheim) March 18, 2016
This is just scratching the surface for Middle Tennessee. We’ve seen it before with Florida Gulf Coast’s Dunk City team and George Mason’s Final Four team. They can secure donations, get a lot of new student interest, and parlay it into a steadier program. Andy Enfield turned it into a power conference job, but even without him, Florida Gulf Coast made it back to the tournament in 2016. Middle Tennessee State have put themselves on the map, and they may well reap the rewards financially and otherwise in the years to come.
As for Virginia, well, no excuses for them now. Utah doesn’t have the firepower that Michigan State would have had, and Iowa State doesn’t defend as well. They should, by all accounts, make it to the Final Four from here.
