What to know about the 2025 NIT: Bracket, schedule and how to watch the games (2025)

March Madness isn't the only major tournament taking place in men's college basketball over the next few weeks.

There are two other events on the schedule involving teams who didn't crack the 2025 NCAA Tournament field. Up first will be college basketball's oldest postseason tournament, the National Invitation Tournament, before the debut of a new event, the College Basketball Crown.

Developed by Fox Sports, the College Basketball Crown is a single-elimination tournament played that will be played in Las Vegas and feature 16 teams, including Boise State, Nebraska, USC and Villanova. The new tournament was promised at least two teams from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East.

The addition of the College Basketball Crown, along with other teams simply declining an NIT invite, has led to there being just four power conference schools in this year's NIT -- Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State (which has a sub-.500 record), SMU and Stanford. The SMU Mustangs are among the four No. 1 seeds in the field, along with Dayton, San Francisco and UC Irvine.

So, which other teams are is competing? And what's the schedule? Here's everything to know about the 2025 NIT:

What does NIT stand for in basketball?

NIT stands for the National Invitation Tournament, a single-elimination postseason college basketball tournament that debuted in 1938. It involves teams who aren't competing in March Madness -- and now the College Basketball Crown as well.

The biggest tournament of the year has officially begun. Here are the top three teams from each region of Selection Sunday for the 2025 men’s NCAA tournament.

How many teams make the NIT?

The tournament has a field of 32 squads -- less than half the size of the NCAA Tournament. Only the top 16 teams in the field are seeded, with the remaining squads "placed into the bracket by the NIT Committee as close to their area of natural interest as possible," according to the NCAA.

Where are NIT games being played in 2025?

The first round, second round and quarterfinals feature on-campus games. The semifinals and final are played at a neutral site.

What is the 2025 NIT bracket?

Here's a look at this year's bracket, via the NCAA:

How to watch and stream NIT games in 2025

The NIT action will air across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN+. The games will also be available to stream on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.

What are the 2025 NIT scores?

The first round of the NIT took place from March 18-19. Here's a look at those results:

March 18

• Kent State 75,No. 3 St. Bonaventure 56
• JacksonvilleState 81,No. 4 Georgia Tech 64
• Chattanooga 109,No. 4 Middle Tennessee 103 (3OT)
• No. 3 Arkansas State 103,Saint Louis 78
• No. 4 Oklahoma State 89,Wichita State 79
• No. 2 Santa Clara 101,UC Riverside 62
• No. 2 Stanford 87,CSUN 70

March 19

• No. 1 Dayton 86,FloridaAtlantic 79
• No. 2 George Mason 86,Samford 69
• UAB 69,No. 3 Saint Joseph's 65
• No. 2 North Texas 75,Furman 64
• No. 3 Bradley 71,North Alabama 62
• No. 1 SMU 73,UNI 63
• No. 1 UC Irvine 82,Northern Colorado 72
• No. 1 San Francisco 79,Utah Valley 70
• Loyola Chicago73,No. 4 San Jose State 70

When are the next 2025 NIT games?

The tournament continues with the second round from Saturday, March 22 to Sunday, March 23. Here's how to watch:

March 22

• No. 1 Dayton at Chattanooga: 11:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2
• No. 3 Bradley at No. 2 George Mason: 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+

March 23

• No. 4 Oklahoma State at No. 1 SMU: 3 p.m. ET, ESPN2
• No. 3 Arkansas State at No. 2 North Texas: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU
• Loyola Chicago at No. 1 San Francisco: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
• Jacksonville State at No. 1 UC Irvine: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Kent State at No. 2 Stanford: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
• UAB at No. 2 Santa Clara: 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU

What is the 2025 NIT schedule?

The quarterfinals will follow from Tuesday, March 25 to Wednesday March 26. Then, the final four teams standing will compete in the NIT semifinals on Tuesday, April 1.

When and where is the 2025 NIT championship game?

The semifinals and final will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse, home of the Butler Bulldogs, in Indianapolis for a second straight year. Following the semis on April 1, the championship game will be held on Thursday, April 3.

Who won the NIT in 2024?

The Seton Hall Pirates defeated the Indiana State Sycamores in last year's championship game for their second NIT title and first since 1953.

Who won the first NIT?

The Temple Owls took down the Colorado Buffaloes at Madison Square Garden in New York to win the championship of the inaugural NIT, which featured six teams. Entering this year's tournament, 54 different schools have won the NIT at least once.

Here are the top three teams from each region of Selection Sunday for the 2025 women’s NCAA basketball tournament.