While one postseason college basketball tournament expands, another is contracting.
The NCAA announced on Thursday it will reduce the NIT field to 24 teams for 2027, down from the 32-team format it has used for most of its modern history. The move coincides with the NCAA Tournament’s expansion to 76 teams, up from the 68-team field that had been around since 2011.
In its announcement, the NCAA noted that the same number of Division I basketball teams will be participating in NCAA-sponsored postseason tournaments this season as last season: 100. Eight slots have essentially move from the NIT to the NCAA Tournament under the new formats.
The same changes are being made for the women’s version of the tournament, the WBIT.
In addition to the field-size changes, the NIT will also roll out new selection criteria in 2027. The field will guarantee one spot for each of the top 10 conferences as measured by Kenpom, in addition to one guaranteed spot for both the ACC and SEC. Each of those 12 teams will be offered to host at least one game.
As was introduced last year, the NIT final will take place near the NCAA Tournament Final Four. This year, with the Final Four scheduled for Ford Field in Detroit, the NIT final will be played at Detroit Mercy. All other games will be played at campus sites.
ESPN will continue to air both the NIT and WBIT as part of its larger media rights deal with the NCAA that includes championship events for every sport other than football and men’s basketball. The NIT has faced increased competition in recent years with Fox’s introduction of the College Basketball Crown, which largely consists of Big Ten and Big 12 teams that did not make the NCAA Tournament.
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