NIT bracket 2026: Tournament schedule, dates, times as Auburn, Wake Forest highlight No. 1 seeds
The bracket is set for this year's 32-team NIT field
Auburn, Wake Forest, New Mexico and Tulsa secured No. 1 seeds for the 2026 NIT. The 32-team field was announced on Sunday night, with action beginning Tuesday at various campus sites. The tournament will culminate in Indianapolis, Indiana, with semifinals on April 2 and the championship game on April 5.
The NIT format will look different again this year because of the College Basketball Crown, a new postseason tournament launched by Fox Sports. Each of the top 12 conferences received at least one exempt bid to the field.
Only four power conference teams are competing in the NIT: Auburn, Cal, Wake Forest and Oklahoma State. Multiple programs -- such as Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, Belmont and San Diego State declined an invitation to the NIT after missing out on the NCAA Tournament.
Let's do this‼️
— NIT (@NITMBB) March 16, 2026
The #NIT2026 bracket, complete with first round tip-off date/times, is here 🏀
It all starts Tuesday night. pic.twitter.com/1XVjZCjD1B
Last year, Indiana, South Carolina and Wake Forest were among the teams that declined an invite.
Historically, the event's semifinals and final were contested at Madison Square Garden. However, the NCAA began accepting bids from numerous cities to host the tournament beginning in 2023. Last year, Chattanooga defeated UC Irvine to claim the NIT title.
Here is a look at the full bracket.
2026 NIT key dates
First Round: March 17-18
Second round: March 21-22
Quarterfinals: March 24-25
Semifinals: April 2 (Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis)
Championship: April 5 (Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis)
All times Eastern
2026 NIT First Round schedule
Games in the first three rounds to be played at the higher-seeded team's home arena
Auburn Region
No. 1 Auburn vs. South Alabama | Tuesday, 10 p.m.
No. 2 Nevada vs. Murray State | Wednesday, 10 p.m.
No. 3 George Masonvs. Liberty | Tuesday, 6 p.m.
No. 4 Seattle U vs. St. Thomas (MN) | Tuesday, 10 p.m.
Albuquerque Region
No. 1 New Mexico vs. Sam Houston | Wednesday, 9 p.m.
No. 2 Cal vs. UIC | Wednesday, 11 p.m.
No. 3 Colorado State vs. Saint Joseph's | Wednesday, 11 p.m.
No. 4 Utah Valley vs. George Washington | Tuesday, 8 p.m
Winston-Salem Region
No. 1 Wake Forest vs. Navy | Wednesday, 7 p.m.
No. 2 Dayton vs. Bradley | Wednesday, 9 p.m.
No. 3 Yale vs. UNCW | Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 4 Illinois State vs. Kent State | Wednesday, 8 p.m
Tulsa Region
No. 1 Tulsa vs. SFA | Tuesday, 9 p.m.
No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. Davidson | Tuesday, 8 p.m.
No. 3 Wichita State vs. Wyoming | Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 4 UC Irvine vs. UNLV | Tuesday, 11 p.m
