Here’s the printable 2026 NIT Bracket for you. The 2026 NIT (National Invitation Tournament) features a 32-team field headlined by No. 1 seeds Auburn, Wake Forest, New Mexico, and Tulsa. The tournament begins on March 17 and concludes with the Championship on April 5 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. We have the TV Schedule, matchups and more for you below.
Updated: March 16, 2026 – The NIT field is official. Games begin Tuesday, March 17.
2026 NIT First Round Schedule
Here’s the confirmed 2026 NIT First Round schedule for you along with the TV / Streaming schedule to checkout the games. Start up on Tuesday.
Looking for the NCAA Tournament? Download the Official 2026 Men’s March Madness Bracket Bundle for the full 68-team field.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | TV Channel |
| Tue, Mar 17 | 6:00 PM | (3) George Mason vs. Liberty | ESPN2 |
| Tue, Mar 17 | 7:00 PM | (3) Yale vs. UNC Wilmington | ESPN+ |
| Tue, Mar 17 | 7:00 PM | (3) Wichita State vs. Wyoming | ESPNU |
| Tue, Mar 17 | 8:00 PM | (2) Oklahoma State vs. Davidson | ESPN2 |
| Tue, Mar 17 | 9:00 PM | (1) Tulsa vs. SFA | ESPNU |
| Tue, Mar 17 | 10:00 PM | (1) Auburn vs. South Alabama | ESPN2 |
| Tue, Mar 17 | 10:00 PM | (4) Seattle U vs. St. Thomas (MN) | ESPN+ |
| Tue, Mar 17 | 11:00 PM | (4) UC Irvine vs. UNLV | ESPNU |
| Wed, Mar 18 | 7:00 PM | (1) Wake Forest vs. Navy | ESPNU |
| Wed, Mar 18 | 8:00 PM | (4) Illinois State vs. Kent State | ESPN+ |
| Wed, Mar 18 | 8:00 PM | (4) Utah Valley vs. GW | ESPN+ |
| Wed, Mar 18 | 9:00 PM | (2) Dayton vs. Bradley | ESPNU |
| Wed, Mar 18 | 9:00 PM | (1) New Mexico vs. Sam Houston | ESPN+ |
| Wed, Mar 18 | 10:00 PM | (2) Nevada vs. Murray State | ESPN+ |
| Wed, Mar 18 | 11:00 PM | (3) Colorado State vs. Saint Joseph’s | ESPNU |
| Wed, Mar 18 | 11:00 PM | (2) Cal vs. UIC | ESPN2 |
2026 Men’s NIT First Round Scoreboard (March 17)
| Matchup | Result | Game Notes |
| (1) Auburn vs. South Alabama | Auburn 78, South Alabama 67 | FINAL: Auburn rallies in the 2nd half behind 21 pts from Kevin Overton. |
| Liberty vs. (3) George Mason | Liberty 77, George Mason 71 | UPSET: Josh Smith drops 23 pts as Liberty outlasts the Patriots in Fairfax. |
| UNC Wilmington vs. (3) Yale | UNCW 68, Yale 67 | UPSET: Christian May hits the go-ahead 3-pointer to stun the Bulldogs. |
| (4) Georgia vs. Xavier | Georgia 78, Xavier 76 | FINAL: Silas Demary Jr. leads the Bulldogs with 16 pts to hold off the Musketeers. |
| (2) Oklahoma St. vs. Davidson | Oklahoma St. 84, Davidson 80 | FINAL: Cowboys survive a 22-point performance from Davidson’s Ricards Blums. |
| (3) Wichita St. vs. Wyoming | Wichita St. 74, Wyoming 70 | FINAL: TJ Williams powers the Shockers with a 17-point double-double. |
| (4) Seattle U vs. St. Thomas | Seattle U 67, St. Thomas 52 | FINAL: Redhawks dominant defensively, holding St. Thomas to 21 second-half points. |
| (1) Tulsa vs. Stephen F. Austin | Tulsa 89, SFA 84 (OT) | FINAL/OT: Tulsa secures the overtime win behind 24 points from Jared Lawal. |
| UNLV vs. (4) UC Irvine | UNLV 75, UC Irvine 72 | UPSET: Rebels steal a road win at the Bren Events Center. |
2026 NIT Format Overview
The NIT is a 32-team single-elimination tournament. Early rounds are played on campus at higher seeds’ home courts, with the semifinals and championship moving to neutral sites in Indianapolis. Automatic bids go to regular-season conference champions who don’t earn NCAA bids, with the rest filled by at-large selections based on metrics like NET rankings.
This setup creates compelling matchups and often features teams just shy of the NCAA field.
2026 NIT Bracket & Schedule: Key Dates
Here is the 2026 NIT Bracket & Schedule. All times are Eastern and subject to change:
- Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 15 – Bracket reveal follows NCAA selections.
- First Round: Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18 – Campus sites.
- Second Round: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 – Campus sites.
- Quarterfinals: Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25 – Campus sites.
- Semifinals: Thursday, April 2 – Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis | 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN.
- Championship: Sunday, April 5 – Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN2.
The move to Indianapolis venues for the final rounds gives the NIT a big-stage feel.
Printable 2026 NIT Bracket (Complete)
Here’s the complete 2026 NIT Bracket with seeds for you from the NCAA. You can save or print this to PDF format. You can also get the most updated NIT bracket in PDF format from the NCAA here.
Your Blank, Printable 2026 NIT Bracket
We’ve got you covered with a clean, blank printable bracket in both PDF and image formats. These are perfect for filling in teams as the bracket is revealed, making predictions, or running your own office pool.
Download and print your blank NIT bracket here:
- PDF version (ideal for high-quality printing)
- Image version (quick and easy to view/share): See the clear layout below.
Teams to Watch and Bracket Projections
With Selection Sunday still ahead, projections point to a mix of power-conference bubble teams and top mid-majors. Stay tuned for the official field on March 15.
Recent NIT Champions
The NIT has a storied history. Here are the recent
- 2025: Chattanooga
- 2024: Seton Hall
- 2023: North Texas
- 2022: Xavier
- 2021: Memphis
Recent champs show how the tournament rewards grit and can launch programs forward.
The 2026 NIT is set to deliver more memorable moments. Grab your printable bracket, follow along, and enjoy the action. For all things March Madness.
