INDIANAPOLIS — The 2026 National Invitation Tournament will mark the 88th version of college basketball’s oldest postseason occasion, and for the primary time in its historical past, the NIT can be performed alongside the NCAA Division I Men’s Final Four, through the sport’s biggest weekend.
The NIT semifinals will kick off the Final Four weekend in Indianapolis on April 2 with tipoffs at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The NIT championship can be performed April 5 at roughly 8 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse following the conclusion of the Division II and Division III Men’s Basketball National Championships.
The semifinal contests will air on ESPN, and the championship can be televised nationally on ESPN2.
Selections for the 32-team NIT area can be introduced March 15 at 9:30 p.m. ET through social media. Belmont (Missouri Valley), Liberty (Conference USA), University of North Carolina Wilmington (CAA), Navy (Patriot), South Alabama (Sun Belt) and Stephen F. Austin (Southland) have already secured a bid to the NIT.
For the primary time in NCAA historical past, all 4 males’s basketball championships — Division I, II, III and the NIT — can be performed throughout Final Four weekend at one website, uniting each degree of the boys’s recreation on one stage in Indianapolis.
Since its inception in 1938, the NIT has performed a foundational position within the development of college basketball. The match has featured most of the sport’s most storied applications and coaches and stays deeply woven into the material of the sport.
“The NIT has been part of college basketball’s story since the very beginning,” mentioned Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vp of basketball and chair of the NIT Board of Managers. “For 88 years, it has provided meaningful postseason opportunities and memorable moments for student-athletes and institutions across the country. Bringing the NIT semifinals and championship alongside the Final Four for the first time is a fitting way to honor that history while showcasing the tournament on college basketball’s biggest weekend.”
Broadcast & schedule data
All preliminary-round video games can be broadcast throughout the ESPN household of networks and streamed on ESPN+.
First spherical: Tuesday, March 17 & Wednesday, March 18 (campus websites)
Second spherical: Saturday, March 21 & Sunday, March 22 (campus websites)
Quarterfinals: Tuesday, March 24 & Wednesday, March 25 (campus websites)
Semifinals: Thursday, April 2 — 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Hinkle Fieldhouse — Indianapolis
Championship: Sunday, April 5 — 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis
The Sunday championship can be a standalone nationwide broadcast in primetime, concluding the NIT’s 88th version throughout Final Four weekend. Complete broadcast information is available here.
Selection framework
The 32-team NIT area is launched following the announcement of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship bracket.
Exempt bids are allotted to establishments from the highest 12 conferences within the present KenPom rankings. Each of these conferences will obtain an exempt bid, with the highest-ranked eligible crew from that convention assured inclusion within the NIT area.
Automatic qualifiers may be included. If relevant, qualifying establishments and conferences can be introduced upon bracket launch. A full overview of selection principles and procedures is available here.
Semifinals & championship ticket data
Tickets for the NIT semifinals at Hinkle Fieldhouse (April 2) and the championship recreation at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (April 5) are available through NCAA.com/NIT.
On Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, followers should purchase a ticket for lower than $45 that gives entry to three championship video games in a single venue — the NCAA Division II and Division III Men’s Basketball National Championship video games and the NIT Championship. Re-entry can be permitted, permitting followers to come and go all through the day whereas experiencing a full day of college basketball championships throughout Final Four weekend in downtown Indianapolis.
Historical notice
Founded in 1938, the National Invitation Tournament predates the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship and has served as one of many sport’s premier postseason occasions for practically 9 many years. The match has featured quite a few future Hall of Fame coaches and gamers and continues to present significant postseason competitors for Division I applications throughout the nation.
Selections for the 2026 National Invitation Tournament can be introduced Sunday, March 15.
