Not everyone can make it to the big dance. While 68 teams are invited to the annual NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, many good teams remain outside the bubble, not good enough to make it in the field. Of those, 32 will receive invites to the National Invitation Tournament, and people love it all the same.
Why Some Teams Prefer the NIT Over March Madness
The NIT is actually older than the NCAA tournament. It started in 1938, predating the big dance by a year. The initial NIT was won by the Temple University Owls, and the field of six played their games at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.
Early on, the NIT was the premier tournament, regarded as the most prestigious among college basketball tournaments. With limited national media coverage of college basketball in the early days, playing all games in New York City allowed for greater exposure to the general public and high school prospects. The NCAA tournament often also left out quality selections, who would instead opt for the NIT, with some playing in both.
During World War II, NCAA and NIT champions played each other to raise money for the war effort, with some considering the game “the real national championship. “ The NCAA winner won all three.
In 1970, the NCAA started taking stabs at the NIT. After No. 8, Marquette declined an NCAA bid to play in the NIT because the game would be closer to home. The NCAA decided that any school that offered a bid must accept or be prohibited from postseason play.
As the NCAA tournament expanded to add more teams, the NIT suffered and eventually had to move early-round games out of Madison Square Garden, harming its prestige.
In 2005, the NCAA purchased 10-year rights to the NIT to settle an antitrust lawsuit and eventually bought the tournament. Now, the tournament is often looked at as a “consolation” prize to find the “69th best team in the country,” with many teams opting out of playing in a tournament sometimes referred to as the “Not Invited Tournament.”
KEEP READING: Why Women’s March Madness Brackets Stay Perfect Longer Than Men’s
Ultimately, the goal is to make it to the big dance. But for some, like Northern Colorado coach Steve Smiley, the NIT is not so bad.
“The goal is to go dancing in March Madness,” Northern Colorado coach Steve Smiley said. “It’s a great plan B and really cool. It’s truly an honor, and this is a big deal.”
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