On Thursday night, the National Invitation Tournament may choose a champion inside Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. At least 17 teams reportedly declined the opportunity to contend for the prize, up from only two teams who declined to do so last month, even though the winner of the once-storied competition, set to be honored hoisting it from Seton Hall, Georgia, Indiana State, or Utah, will be boldly hoisting it.
It’s the most recent setback for the NIT, which has for decades fought its reputation as a flimsy victory for rival teams that did n’t make the NCAA Tournament. As NIT involvement is threatened by continuous changes in the NCAA scenery, from athletes making rapid moves into the move portal to NIL earning bags of money, that extra position is more striking than ever.

” It’s not your father’s NCAA again”, LaSalle head coach and former NIT council member Fran Dunphy said in an exam. You may adapt to the changes, in fact. I do n’t see things returning to the way they were.
As schools making training and roster adjustments are more likely to move on to that aspect of the season than to play in the NIT, the postseason tournament may also delay the start of some hopes ‘ NBA pre-drafting process.
St. John’s manager Rick Pitino, who knows the historic Pedant history better than most, passed on the welcome to join. Pitt coach Jeff Capel said the student athletes ‘ decision to leave was best for them, including his starting center Federiko Frederick, who entered the transfer portal, while Ole Miss coach Chris Beard skipped because he thought the timing was n’t right.
Joe Manhertz, an ex-St. Bonaventure athletic director who declined an invitation, analyzed the circumstance well, stating that the program was” competitive disadvantage” by playing an NIT street game while dealing with lineup uncertainty for the following year.
In an interview, NBA NIT board chair and senior vice president of sports Dan Gavitt stated,” This is just a new reality in the short term for our business.” ” In my position, you ca n’t overreact to things. We’re also not going to underreact. Although we did not anticipate there would be any, I’m no contemptuous that there were more opt-outs than we might have liked.
By changing its bid process to give Power Six schools a higher priority, the NIT decided this year to be more innovative, guaranteeing spots to two teams in each conference that did n’t make the NCAA Tournament. But the change, at the expense of middle- major schools, even contributed to the NIT’s most select- outs since 2021 postseason when schools were dealing with epidemic- associated issues and protocols.
” We look forward to breaking it all down after this year’s event and having active conversations with our meetings, coaches and ADs”, Gavitt said. We’ll continue to think through the best way to organize it going ahead.

It’s worth noting the tournament’s stakeholders ca n’t offer financial incentives for players. Schools are still unable to enter NIL agreements with athletes under NCAA rules, at least for the time being, which could make the tournament defenseless as more players become financially motivated. Multiple team playoff tournament ideas with lucrative payments are already being considered. This list includes a Las Vegas-based function supported by RedBird IMI that will grant participating clubs up to$ 2 million in NIL deals.
Gloria Nevarez, a former NIT council member and Mountain West Conference director, said,” I believe this next generation of situations we’re going to start seeing will cover expenses or even provide financial opportunities.” ” With all the financial pressures to provide NIL, it’s really important to our schools”.
Another external factor is FOX Sports ‘ suggestion to launch a new postseason college basketball tournament. Power 5 schools that did n’t make it to the NCAA Tournament would compete in the tournament, despite the network’s still-uncertainty about how the network will proceed with its plan. This potential new twist on the postseason would also impact the NIT’s selection process and appeal to TV viewers all over the country.
How can we keep it relevant and significant in a landscape that is constantly evolving and evolving? Gavitt said. ” We still do n’t have the answers to that. We still do n’t know exactly what’s going to happen with the FOX event. Although we still do n’t know how true opt-outs and transfer portals are, I’m more optimistic and bullish than not.
There are reasons to be optimistic about the NIT’s future. This year’s quarterfinals turned a 33 % jump in viewership on ESPN, with two games topping a million viewers.
Additionally, the NIT semifinals and finals are jumping from city to city annually, with Indianapolis being this year’s host after Las Vegas hosted last year. The leaders of the NCAA are weighing whether it’s better to find a permanent home financially or negotiate annual deals with universities, as they have done with UNLV and Butler.
Hinkle Fieldhouse has been unique compared to what fans are typically used to. The intimate 9, 100-seat arena is a welcome change from Madison Square Garden, where the NIT played from 1938 to 1977 before hosting only the semifinals and finals until 2022.
A historic event trying to find its footing in an evolving space is represented by the departure from the renowned site. The Hinkle Fieldhouse, which is sold out for Tuesday night’s semifinal games and Thursday’s championship, may have found gold. A smaller, less expensive venue could be a model for the future, despite top-seeded Indiana State’s unprecedented run helping to increase local ticket sales.
” MSG is a wonderful venue, and I do n’t know about the negotiations or price, but I was there for the last event]in 2022], and it was n’t the crowd that any of us wanted”, NIT committee chair and New Orleans vice president of athletes Tim Duncan said in an interview. ” This year, I know we’re getting the crowd that everyone wants,” she said. It gives us an opportunity to see what this tournament can do on the open market.”
Despite having the best possible talent and ensuring the right location is crucial from a marketing and profit perspective, getting teams to accept bids and fielding the best possible talent to crown a “national” champion continues to be crucial. Every team that chooses to withdraw has its own reasons for rejecting the invitation in the end.
” It’s not an indictment on the tournament”, Duncan added. ” It’s just a sign of the times”.