Precision Time Systems, which was invented by former NBA and college referee Michael Costabile, has become the industry standard for timekeeping in basketball games, but the NCAA -- unlike the NBA, the Olympics, all major conferences and even some high schools -- doesn’t use the automatic timing system for its signature event.

In a sense, it’s like using a modern timing system to determine how fast Usain Bolt runs or Michael Phelps swims until they get to the Olympics, then breaking out the stopwatches to figure out who gets the gold medal.

Costabile’s system, which uses wireless technology to sync whistles to the clock, ranges in price from $3,185 to $3,750 each, which sounds like pocket change compared to the tournament’s $10.8 billion television deal.

“This is 2011,” said Nelson Keller, who runs the clock merely as a backup for women’s games at North Carolina and the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. “It’s crazy not to use the technology that’s available.”