Virginia would 'respectfully decline' invitation to White House

Virginia will not be visiting the White House in celebration of their 2019 national championship, the team announced.

"We have received inquiries about a visit to the White House. With several players either pursuing pro opportunities or moving on from UVA, it would be difficult, if not impossible to get everyone back together," Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett explained in a release. "We would have to respectfully decline an invitation."

Among the departures are several Cavaliers mainstays who have declared for the 2019 NBA Draft, including juniors Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome, and Mamadi Diakite, and sophomore De'Andre Hunter.

Virginia captured its first NCAA championship in program history earlier this month, besting Texas Tech in the title game, 85-77.

The title-winning team in collegiate men's basketball has not visited the White House since 2016. North Carolina was unable to attend in 2017 after failing to agree upon a date, while 2018 champ Villanova claimed to have never received an official invitation.