National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The tournament is played at regional sites with its Final Four traditionally played at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City each March and April. It was founded in 1938. The NIT was once considered the most prestigious post-season showcase for college basketball.
| Current season, competition or edition: 2023 National Invitation Tournament | |
| Sport | College basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1938 |
| Founder | Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association |
| No. of teams | 32 |
| Most recent champion(s) | North Texas (1st title) |
| Most titles | St. John's (5 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | ESPN |
| Related competitions | NIT Season Tip-Off NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament College Basketball Invitational The Basketball Classic |
| Official website | www |
A second, much more recent "NIT" tournament is played in November and known as the NIT Season Tip-Off. Formerly the "Preseason NIT" (and still sometimes referred to as such colloquially), it was founded in 1985. Like the postseason NIT, its final rounds are played at Madison Square Garden. Both tournaments were operated by the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA) until 2005, when they were purchased by the NCAA, and the MIBA disbanded.
Unless otherwise qualified, the terms NIT or National Invitation Tournament refer to the post-season tournament in both common and official use.