March 17, 2025
Top Seeds and Tournament Structure
The 2025 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) bracket has been released, featuring 32 teams from 15 Division I conferences. The top seeds are Southern Methodist University (SMU), Dayton, San Francisco, and UC Irvine. The tournament kicks off with first-round games on March 18-19, followed by the second round on March 22-23, quarterfinals on March 25-26, semifinals on April 1, and the championship game on April 3. The semifinals and championship will be held at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Notable Matchups
- SMU vs. Northern Iowa: Top-seeded SMU will face Northern Iowa in the first round.
- Dayton vs. Florida Atlantic: Dayton, another top seed, is set to compete against Florida Atlantic.
- UC Irvine vs. Northern Colorado: UC Irvine will take on Northern Colorado in their opening game.
- San Francisco vs. Utah Valley: San Francisco is matched up against Utah Valley in the first round.
Teams Declining NIT Invitations
Several prominent programs declined NIT invitations, including Indiana, Pittsburgh, Northwestern, Wake Forest, Rutgers, South Carolina, and LSU.
Tournament Outlook
With a diverse field and several high-profile teams opting out, this year’s NIT promises competitive matchups and opportunities for emerging programs to showcase their talents.
