The NIT Season Tip-Off is an annual college basketball tournament that takes place in November of each year, toward the beginning of the season. The first two rounds are held at campus sites, while the semifinals and the finals are held during the week of Thanksgiving in Brooklyn, NY. 2020's tournament was to be held at Amway Center in Orlando, FL, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused the NCAA to cancel it. The tournament, which is a part of the regular season for all participating colleges, began in 1985 as the Preseason NIT, so-called in order to distinguish it from the post-season NIT. In 2005, the NCAA purchased the Men's Preseason and Postseason NIT and renamed the November tournament the NIT Season Tip-Off. The tournament remains one of the most well-known preseason tournaments in NCAA Division I men's basketball, along with the Maui Invitational.

North Carolina vs. Tennessee, Third Place Game, November 24, 2006

Tournament Format edit

The tournament had a new format in 2006.[1] The first two rounds were held at regional "common sites" instead of campus sites, making the format more like the postseason NCAA Tournament. Through 2014, the semifinals and finals had always been held at Madison Square Garden. In 2006, the common sites were Charlotte, North Carolina, Nashville, Tennessee, Indianapolis and Spokane, Washington. The tournament returned to its previous format in 2007 then returned to the 2006 format in 2009.

On September 3, 2014 a new format was announced for the NIT Season Tip-Off. The NIT Season Tip-Off will no longer be a bracketed event, instead becoming a classic with set semifinal matchups in New York, after the NCAA could only get eight teams in the field instead of 16. The NCAA-run event will add a new wrinkle due to the reduced field and feature a showcase of games on Thanksgiving Day with the other four teams that are not in the championship. Teams in the NIT Season Tip-Off will play four games at campus sites prior to the eight teams' arrival in New York.[2]

The NIT Season Tip-Off tournament will not occur in 2022, but it will return in 2023.

Tournament History edit

Venues edit

Madison Square Garden hosted the semifinal and final rounds for the first three decades, since the tournament's inception. Beginning in 2015, Barclays Center in Brooklyn will hold the two semifinal games on Thanksgiving Day, as well as the championship game the following day. Barclays Center will also have the 2016 and 2018 semis and finals. In 2017, the tournament is scheduled to move over to the nearby Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which is in the process of getting a major renovation to its facilities.[3]

Past championship games edit

Brackets edit

* – Denotes overtime period

2023 edit

Semifinals
November 22
ESPN2
Championship
November 24
ESPN
      
13 Baylor 88
  Oregon State 72
13 Baylor 95
Florida 91
  Florida 86
  Pittsburgh 71 3rd Place Game
ESPN2
  Oregon State 51
  Pittsburgh 76

2021 edit

Semifinals
November 24
Championship
November 26
      
25 Xavier 70
  Iowa State 82
  Iowa State 78
9 Memphis 59
9 Memphis 69
  Virginia Tech 61 3rd Place Game
25 Xavier 59
  Virginia Tech 58

2020 edit

The field originally included Cincinnati, Arizona, Texas Tech and St. John's.[4]

An initial attempt was made to move the event to the bubble at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World, but the tournament was eventually cancelled outright due to COVID-19.[5]

2019 edit

Semifinals
November 27
ESPN2
Championship
November 29
ESPN2
      
Ole Miss 74
Penn State 72
Ole Miss 37
Oklahoma State 78
Syracuse 72
Oklahoma State 86 3rd Place Game
ESPN2
Penn State 85
Syracuse 64

2018 edit

Semifinals
November 21
ESPN2
Championship
November 23
ESPN2
      
Louisville 81
5 Tennessee 92
5 Tennessee 81
2 Kansas 87*
Marquette 68
2 Kansas 77 3rd Place Game
ESPN2
Louisville 74
Marquette 77*

2017 edit

Campus Site Games edit

Game 1
November 10
Fox Sports 2
Game 4
November 12
Fox Sports 1
  Monmouth 65
  Fairleigh Dickinson 68   Seton Hall 75
  Seton Hall 90
Game 2
November 10
Game 7
November 17
  UNC Asheville 76
  Austin Peay 54   Vanderbilt 79
  Vanderbilt 73
Game 3
November 11
Game 10
November 22
  Monmouth 51
  UNC Asheville 60   UNC Asheville 62
  Rhode Island 84
Game 5
November 13
ACC Network Extra
Game 9
November 19
Regional Sports Network
  Monmouth 53
  Austin Peay 49   Virginia 73
  Virginia 93
Game 6
November 15
Game 8
November 19
  UNC Asheville 82
  Oakland City 50   Austin Peay 79
  Austin Peay 109

Championship Round edit

Semifinals
November 23
ESPNU
Championship
November 24
ESPNU
      
  Virginia 68
  Vanderbilt 42
  Virginia 70
  Rhode Island 55
  Rhode Island 75
20 Seton Hall 74 3rd Place Game
ESPNews
  Vanderbilt 59
20 Seton Hall 72

2016 edit

[6]

Semifinals
November 24
ESPNU
Championship
November 25
ESPN2
      
Temple 89
25 Florida State 86
  Temple 81
19 West Virginia 77
Illinois 57
19 West Virginia 89 3rd Place Game
ESPNU
25 Florida State 72
Illinois 61

2015 edit

[7]

Semifinals
November 26
ESPNU/ESPN2
Championship
November 27
ESPN2
      
Arkansas 73
Georgia Tech 83
Georgia Tech 52
8 Villanova 69
Stanford 45
8 Villanova 59 3rd Place Game
ESPNU
Arkansas 66
Stanford 69

2014 edit

[8]

Semifinals
November 26
Championship
November 28
ESPN2
      
Minnesota 61
St. John's 70
St. John's 66
10 Gonzaga 73
Georgia 76
10 Gonzaga 88 3rd Place Game
ESPNU
Minnesota 66
Georgia 62

Thanksgiving Day Games edit

Showcase Format – No Tournament
November 22
LIU Brooklyn54
Stony Brook73
November 27
WKU62
Saint Joseph's59

2013 edit

First Round
November 18
Quarterfinals
November 19
Semifinals
November 27
ESPNU/ESPN2
Championship
November 29
ESPN
            
1 Arizona 100
Fairleigh Dickinson 50
1 Arizona 87
5 Rhode Island 59
5 Rhode Island 66
Metro State 63
1 Arizona 66
8 Drexel 62
4 Rutgers 66
Canisius 51
4 Rutgers 59
8 Drexel 70
6 Elon 64
8 Drexel 71
1 Arizona 72
2 Duke 66
3 Alabama 102
Stillman College 65
3 Alabama 75
Georgia State 58
Georgia State 96
McNeese State 70
3 Alabama 64
2 Duke 74
2 Duke 91 3rd Place Game
ESPN2
UNC Asheville 55
2 Duke 83   Drexel 85
7 East Carolina 74   Alabama 83
7 East Carolina 76
Norfolk State 74

[9]

2012 edit

First Round
November 12
Quarterfinals
November 13
Semifinals
November 21
Championship
November 23
ESPN
            
1 Michigan 91
IUPUI 54
1 Michigan 77
7 Cleveland State 47
7 Cleveland State 79
Bowling Green 73
1 Michigan 67
4 Pittsburgh 62
4 Pittsburgh 86
Fordham 51
4 Pittsburgh 78
5 Lehigh 53
5 Lehigh 89
6 Robert Morris 60
1 Michigan 71
3 Kansas State 57
3 Kansas State 79
Lamar 55
3 Kansas State 87
Alabama-Huntsville 26
North Texas 75
Alabama-Huntsville 78
3 Kansas State 66
8 Delaware 63
2 Virginia 54
Fairfield 45
2 Virginia 53
8 Delaware 59
8 Delaware 84
  Penn 69

[10]

2011 edit

First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship[11]
            
1 Syracuse 95
Manhattan 56
1 Syracuse 98
Albany 74
Albany 77
Brown 68
1 Syracuse 69
4 Virginia Tech 58
4 Virginia Tech 91
Monmouth 46
4 Virginia Tech 78
FIU 63
5 George Mason 76
FIU 79
1 Syracuse 69
3 Stanford 63
3 Stanford 75
Fresno State 59
3 Stanford 64
7 Colorado State 52
7 Colorado State 75
SMU 56
3 Stanford 82
2 Oklahoma State 67
2 Oklahoma State 73
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 46
2 Oklahoma State 90
8 UTSA 85
6 Oral Roberts 77
8 UTSA 78

2010 edit

First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship
            
1 Villanova 84
Marist 47
1 Villanova 82
Boston University 66
7 George Washington 67
Boston University 76
1 Villanova 82
4 UCLA 70
4 UCLA 79
Pepperdine 69
4 UCLA 57
Pacific 44
8 Nevada 53
Pacific 64
1 Villanova 68
2 Tennessee 78
3 Wake Forest 63
Hampton 56
3 Wake Forest 69
5 VCU 90
5 VCU 67
Winthrop 54
5 VCU 72
2 Tennessee 77
2 Tennessee 85
Belmont 76
2 Tennessee 60
6 Missouri State 56
6 Missouri State 80
Arkansas State 71

[12]

2009 edit

First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship
            
1 Duke 74
Coastal Carolina 49
1 Duke 101
8 Charlotte 59
8 Charlotte 75
Elon 61
1 Duke 64
4 Arizona State 53
4 Arizona State 84
Texas State 62
4 Arizona State 52
7 TCU 49
7 TCU 83
Cal State Northridge 65
1 Duke 68
2 Connecticut 59
3 LSU 56
Indiana State 45
3 LSU 71
5 Western Kentucky 67
5 Western Kentucky 69
Milwaukee 65
3 LSU 55
2 Connecticut 81
6 Hofstra 68
Yale 63
6 Hofstra 67
2 Connecticut 76
2 Connecticut 77
Colgate 63

[13]

2008 edit

First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship
            
E1 Boston College 90
E4 Loyola (MD) 57
E1 Boston College 82
E2 St John's 70
E2 St John's 86
E3 Cornell 75
E1 Boston College 64
M1 Purdue 71
M1 Purdue 87
M4 Eastern Michigan 58
M1 Purdue 78
M3 Loyola 46
M2 Georgia 53
M3 Loyola (IL) 74
M1 Purdue 82
S1 Oklahoma 87
W1 Arizona 75
W4 Florida Atlantic 62
W1 Arizona 71
W2 UAB 72
W2 UAB 64
W3 Santa Clara 61
W2 UAB 67
S1 Oklahoma 77
S1 Oklahoma 94
S4 Mississippi Valley State 53
S1 Oklahoma 82
S2 Davidson 78
S2 Davidson 99
S3 James Madison 64

2007 edit

First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship
            
E1 Syracuse 97
E4 Siena 89
E1 Syracuse 72
E2 St. Joseph's 69
E2 Saint Joseph's 86
E3 Fairleigh Dickinson 66
E1 Syracuse 65
M1 Ohio State 79
M1 Ohio State 91
M4 Wisconsin-Green Bay 68
M1 Ohio State 68
M2 Columbia 54
M2 Columbia 47
M3 Delaware State 41
M1 Ohio State 47
S1 Texas A&M 70
W1 Washington 88
W4 NJIT 47
W1 Washington 83
W2 Utah 77
W2 Utah 77
W3 High Point 64
W1 Washington 63
S1 Texas A&M 77
S1 Texas A&M 67
S4 Oral Roberts 53
S1 Texas A&M 81
S2 UTEP 76
S2 UTEP 77
S3 Texas A&M-CC 62

See also edit

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ NIT Season Tip-Off gets new format, Associated Press.
  2. ^ Katz, Andy (4 September 2014). "NIT Season Tip-off format to change". ESPN. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  3. ^ "NIT Season Tip-Off moves across river to Barclays Center". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  4. ^ "NIT Season Tip-Off 2020 Field Announced". ESPN Events. ESPN. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  5. ^ "ESPN scraps men's college basketball bubble plans, cancels 8 events". 26 October 2020.
  6. ^ "NIT Season Tip-Off Announces 2016–17 Bracket and Ticket Information". 14 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  7. ^ "Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Stanford and Villanova Highlight 2015 NIT Season Tip-Off Field". 6 August 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  8. ^ "2014 NIT Season Tip-Off features 10-team field, six games at MSG". www.NCAA.com. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  9. ^ https://www.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/files/2013NITSeasonTip-OffBracket.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  10. ^ https://www.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/files/2012NITSeasonTip-OffBracket(1).pdf[bare URL PDF]
  11. ^ "2011 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off" (PDF). ncaa.com.
  12. ^ "2010 DICK'S SPORTING GOODS NIT SEASON TIP-OFF" (PDF). ncaa.com.
  13. ^ "2009 DICK'S SPORTING GOODS NIT SEASON TIP-OFF" (PDF). cstv.com.