The NCAA Tournament tips off this evening with the First Four, but there’s plenty of basketball beyond March Madness for fans craving more action. The 88th edition of the National Invitation Tournament begins tonight with eight first-round games across the ESPN family of networks.
Auburn Headlines the NIT Field After Missing March Madness
Auburn, New Mexico, Tulsa, and Wake Forest headline the 32 teams from 18 different Division I conferences that make up this year’s NIT field. NCAA The Tigers, in particular, enter as the No. 1 overall seed after a disappointing end to Steven Pearl’s first season as head coach left them on the wrong side of the bubble.
Auburn lost nine of its last 12 games heading into Selection Sunday and finished 17-16, 247Sports missing the NCAA Tournament despite boasting the nation’s third-best strength of schedule. Pearl addressed the decision to accept the NIT bid head-on: “I’m not going to take my ball and go home because we didn’t make the tournament.”
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The Tigers host South Alabama at Neville Arena in tonight’s nightcap at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Auburn enters with a NET ranking of 38, while South Alabama sits at 187, making this the Jaguars’ first Quad 1 game of the season. Auburn Tigers
Tuesday’s eight-game slate features several intriguing matchups. George Mason hosts Liberty in the opener at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2, the NCAA kicking off a night that runs through the late-night UC Irvine-UNLV tilt at 11 p.m. ET.
Tuesday, March 17 — First Round Schedule
(All Times ET)
- George Mason vs. Liberty — 6 p.m. — ESPN2
- Yale vs. UNC Wilmington — 7 p.m. — ESPN+
- Wichita State vs. Wyoming — 7 p.m. — ESPNU
- Oklahoma State vs. Davidson — 8 p.m. — ESPN2
- Tulsa vs. Stephen F. Austin — 9 p.m. — ESPNU
- Auburn vs. South Alabama — 10 p.m. — ESPN2
- Seattle U vs. St. Thomas (MN) — 10 p.m. — ESPN+
- UC Irvine vs. UNLV — 11 p.m. — ESPNU
How to Watch NIT Games Tonight
All NIT games air on the ESPN family of networks, with coverage spread across ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN+. CableTV Games will stream live on the ESPN app, with most also available on Fubo.
Cord-cutters have a few options. ESPN Unlimited at $29.99 per month serves as the most affordable standalone option, providing access to every linear ESPN network along with ESPN+ streaming content. CableTV Live TV streaming services like YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, and Fubo also carry the necessary channels.
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This year’s NIT carries added significance. For the first time in the tournament’s 88-year history, the NIT semifinals and championship will be played alongside the NCAA Division I Men’s Final Four during the sport’s biggest weekend. NCAA The semifinals are set for April 2 at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, with the championship on April 5 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The field includes several historic storylines. Dayton is making its 29th NIT appearance, the most of any team in this year’s bracket and second-most all time. St. Thomas is making its first-ever Division I men’s basketball postseason appearance, while Seattle U returns to the NIT for the first time since 1957.
The winner takes home a championship trophy and the satisfaction of closing the season on a high note. For Auburn and other bubble teams left out of March Madness, that opportunity to keep playing together might be enough.
