The NIT is changing. For the 2026-27 season, the National Invitation Tournament drops from 32 teams to 24 and rolls out new selection rules, part of a wider postseason shake-up that comes as the NCAA Division I Tournament expands to 76 teams. Here is how the new NIT works, who gets in, and the dates and TV details, with a printable bracket you can fill in on Selection Sunday.
What is new for the 2027 NIT
Two big things change. First, the field shrinks to 24 teams. Second, the selection formula is reworked around advanced metrics. The headline event stays the same: the 89th NIT championship is played alongside the Men’s Final Four weekend, with Detroit Mercy hosting the title game on Sunday, April 4. Every round before the final is played on campus sites, so higher seeds keep home-court advantage deep into the bracket.
The new 24-team bracket format
With 24 teams instead of 32, the bracket now runs on a bye structure. The top eight seeds earn a first-round bye. The other 16 teams play eight first-round games, and those eight winners then face the top eight seeds in the second round. From there it is a standard single-elimination climb through the quarterfinals and semifinals to the championship.
Every round until the title game is hosted on campus sites, and all exempt-bid teams are guaranteed the chance to host. The semifinals tip off March 30 at campus sites before the final moves to Detroit Mercy on April 4.
How teams get in: the new selection rules
The NIT field is built from three buckets.
Exempt bids (12). Instead of the old top-12-conferences rule, exempt bids now go to the top 10 conferences in the Ken Pomeroy rankings, one per league, awarded to that conference’s highest-ranked eligible team. On top of those 10, the ACC and SEC each receive one additional exempt bid, for 12 total. The team that claims each exempt bid is identified by an average of seven metrics: ESPN’s BPI, the KenPom rating, the Kevin Pauga Index, the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), Strength of Record, Torvik and Wins Above Bubble.
Automatic bids. Regular-season conference champions that do not make the NCAA Tournament still get in automatically, as long as their average ranking across those same metrics is 125 or better.
First Four Out as No. 1 seeds. The teams that just miss the expanded 76-team NCAA field, the “First Four Out,” get automatic NIT bids and are slotted as the No. 1 seeds. They can host until the tournament reaches Detroit. If any decline, the NIT committee picks replacement No. 1 seeds.
Key dates and where to watch
| Round | Date | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Selection Sunday (field announced) | March 14 | TBD |
| First round through quarterfinals | Mid-to-late March | Campus sites |
| Semifinals | March 30 | Campus sites |
| Championship (89th NIT) | Sunday, April 4 | Detroit Mercy |
ESPN is the exclusive broadcast partner of the NIT, so every game airs across ESPN networks.
Printable 2027 NIT bracket
The field is not set until Selection Sunday, so print the blank 24-team bracket now and fill it in once the pairings drop. The top eight seeds are marked with their first-round byes.
Download the printable 2027 NIT bracket (PDF)
More 2026-27 college basketball
The women’s side is changing too: see our 2027 WBIT 24-team format guide. For the main event, head to the 2027 March Madness schedule and printable bracket, and track the regular season in the Men’s College Basketball Schedule Hub and our preseason AP Top 25.
