It turns out the Michigan basketball team will be able to play for something more than pride this season.

The NCAA's postseason ban on the Michigan program has been lifted, and the Wolverines will be eligible for the 2004 NCAA Tournament and the NIT, a source close to the Michigan basketball family told The Michigan Daily late last night.

An official announcement is expected sometime today.

The Detroit Free Press also reported a "person at U-M familiar with the situation" confirming that the ban has been lifted.

Michigan's appeal of the postseason ban was the final issue up in the air regarding the NCAA's investigation into the program's scandal involving booster Ed Martin.

In the early- to mid-1990s, Martin had given more than $600,000 to players on the Michigan basketball team.

Prior to the 2002-03 basketball season, the University imposed penalties upon itself, forfeiting 112 games, as well as returning more than $400,000 to the NCAA, taking championship banners down and placing the program on two years probation.

Last May, the NCAA Infractions Committee cited the severity of Michigan's violations and handed down punishments to the Michigan program that included the postseason ban, four years of probation and the loss of one scholarship a year for the next four seasons.

The ruling also demanded that the players who were known to receive money from Martin - Chris Webber, Maurice Taylor, Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock - be dissociated from the University for 10 years.

"In total, this is one of the three or four most egregious violations of NCAA bylaws in the history of the association," NCAA Infractions Committee Chair Thomas Yeager said at the time. "The Committee on Infractions cannot shirk its responsibility to the entire membership by failing to apply meaningful and appropriate sanctions against the University in order to protect the postseason opportunities of current and, as we acknowledge, uninvolved student-athletes."

At that point, the University decided to appeal just the postseason ban, despite the fact that appeals are rarely upheld by the NCAA.

"We believe the additional postseason ban is counter to the core mission of the NCAA enforcement," Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin said in May. "Our current student-athletes were not involved in any way."

Michigan went through with the appeal in hopes of minimizing the punishment to current players. Now, thanks to the unexpected reversal, the Wolverines have the opportunity to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

Late last night, Michigan coach Tommy Amaker returned from a recruiting trip and met with his team. While Michigan awaited word from the NCAA appeals committee, the situation jumped back into the public limelight recently. Former Michigan player Chris Webber - who received $280,000 from Martin - plead guilty to perjury on Sept. 16. Webber was then sentenced to 300 hours of community service in the Detroit area. On Sept. 19, University officials requested that a federal judge demand Chris Webber reimburse the school with $695,000.

Martin, ironically, passed away on Feb. 14, the day that Michigan representatives appeared before the NCAA to plead its case.

Michigan was one of last season's biggest surprises, posting a 17-13 (10-6 Big Ten) record. The expected announcement also comes on the heels of an anonymous donor's gift that provided returning student season ticket holders with free season tickets for the upcoming year.