Yahoo Sports NIT selection 2023: What to know about National Invitational Tournament
As teams find out it if they made the men's NCAA Tournament, those that fall just short won't have their seasons come to an end.
The National Invitation Tournament, or NIT, had its selection show Sunday night, with 32 teams set to compete in the postseason tournament.
Played every year since 1938 – except in 2020 – the NIT has been known for games being played on college campuses in the opening rounds instead of a neutral site, with the semifinal and final round being held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. While the tournament is back for another edition in 2023, some changes will made this year, including a new final round site.
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When is the 2023 NIT?
The NIT will begin with opening round action on March 14-15. Here is the full schedule of the tournament:
First round: March 14-15
Second round: March 18-19
Quarterfinal: March 21-22
Semifinal: March 28
Final: March 30
How are teams selected to the NIT?
The NIT selects teams that were just short of making the NCAA Tournament, but they don't have to accept a bid if the school does not want to. Teams that also won their conference regular season title but didn't win their conference tournament, and therefore didn't make the NCAA Tournament, are given automatic berths should they accept.
Teams eligible for the tournament were: Eastern Washington, UC Irvine, Hofstra, Youngstown State, Yale, Bradley, Morehead State, Southern Miss, Alcorn State and Utah Valley.
Which teams made the NIT?
The NIT selection show was held Sunday night. Here are the first-round matchups:
Top left bracket
1. Oklahoma State vs. Youngstown State (7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN+)
4. Washington State vs. Eastern Washington (11 p.m. ET on Tuesday, ESPNU)
3. North Texas vs. Alcorn State (8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN+)
2. Sam Houston vs. Santa Clara (9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN+)
Bottom left bracket
1. Oregon vs. UC Irvine (11 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESN2)
4. Florida vs. UCF (7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN2)
3. Wisconsin vs. Bradley (9:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, ESPN)
2. Liberty vs. Villanova (9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, ESPN2)
Top right bracket
1. Rutgers vs. Hofstra (7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, ESPNU)
4. Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech (9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN2)
3. New Mexico vs. Utah Valley (10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN+)
2. Colorado vs. Seton Hall (11 p.m. ET on Tuesday, ESPN2)
Bottom right bracket
1. Clemson vs. Morehead State (7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN+)
4. UAB vs. Southern Miss (7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, ESPN+)
3. Vanderbilt vs. Yale (9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, ESPNU)
2. Michigan vs. Toledo (7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, ESPN2)
North Carolina opts not to participate in NIT
After missing out on the men's NCAA Tournament, North Carolina declared its season over. UNC announced Sunday night a decision to not compete in the NIT.
"All season, our focus and goal have been on being the best team we can possibly become and reaching our full potential to give us another opportunity to compete, play for and win an NCAA championship. Although we no longer have that opportunity and this season wasn't what we had hoped for, I want to thank our players and staff for their hard work and love for Carolina Basketball," Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis said.
What's different for the 2023 NIT?
For the 2023 edition, the NIT will seed the top 16 teams, with the top four teams in each pod of the bracket. The remaining 16 teams will then be placed in the bracket "geographically where possible."
The first three rounds of the tournament will remain on campus sites, but the semifinal and final will no longer be held in New York City. This year, the NIT final four will be held at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NIT selection show: Which teams made National Invitational Tournament?
