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

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.

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.

When does the 2025 NIT start?

The first round of the NIT takes place from Tuesday, March 18 to Wednesday, March 19:

March 18

• Kent State (22-11) at No. 3 St. Bonaventure (22-11), 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU
• Jacksonville State (22-12) at No. 4 Georgia Tech (17-16), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
• Chattanooga (24-9) at No. 4 Middle Tennessee (22-11), 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Saint Louis (19-14) at No. 3 Arkansas State (24-10), 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU
• Wichita State (19-14) at No. 4 Oklahoma State (15-17), 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
• UC Riverside (21-12) at No. 2 Santa Clara (20-12), 11 p.m. ET, ESPNU
• CSUN (22-10) at No. 2 Stanford (20-13), 11 p.m. ET, ESPN2

March 19

• Florida Atlantic (18-15) at No. 1 Dayton (22-10), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 
• Samford (22-10) at No. 2 George Mason (26-8), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• UAB (22-12) at No. 3 Saint Joseph's (22-12), 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Furman (25-9) at No. 2 North Texas (24-8), 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• North Alabama (24-10) at No. 3 Bradley (26-8), 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• UNI (20-12) at No. 1 SMU (23-10), 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
• Northern Colorado (25-9) at No. 1 UC Irvine (28-6), 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
• Utah Valley (25-8) at No. 1 San Francisco (24-9), 11 p.m. ET, ESPNU
• Loyola Chicago (22-11) at No. 4 San Jose State (15-19), 11 p.m. ET, ESPN2

What is the 2025 NIT schedule?

The tournament continues with the second round from Saturday, March 22 to Sunday, March 23, followed by the quarterfinals from Tuesday, March 25 to Wednesday March 26. 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.