Selection Sunday is not limited to just the 68 teams selected for the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Following the much-anticipated bracket reveal for March Madness at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15, all eyes turn to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) bracket reveal. The 32-team field comprises teams that did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

The NIT is an invitation-only style tournament, which means that Division I teams must be extended an invitation by the selection committee to play in the game. It is one of several postseason tournaments that take place simultaneously with the NCAA Tournament.

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While the First Four games of the NCAA Tournament get underway, the NIT will also begin its tournament on the same day, Tuesday, March 17.

Here's what you need to know about the NIT reveal on Sunday, March 15:

When is the NIT bracket released? 2026 NIT Selection Show start time

• Date: Sunday, March 15

Following the reveal of the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket, the 2026 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) will be released on Sunday, March 15.

Who makes the NIT? 

The NIT bracket is a 32-team field.

With the addition of The College Basketball Crown tournament, the NIT has different eligibility qualifications for the second year in a row.

Sixteen "exempt" teams make up half of the field. Four spots are taken up by top teams from the ACC and SEC not selected for the NCAA tournament field, while the remaining 12 "exempt" spots go to the top team in the top 12 conferences, based on the KenPom Rankings.

The remaining 16 spots are automatic bids for conference regular season champions that have a "KNIT" score of 125 or better and at-large teams of the best available teams that did not make it into the tournament.

When is the NIT? Full schedule for 2026 tournament 

• NIT start date: Tuesday, March 17
• NIT championship: Sunday, April 5

The 2026 (NIT) is scheduled to tip off on Tuesday, March 17, with the first round of games, which also happens to be the first night of the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio.

The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, April 2, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, while the championship game is set for Sunday, April 5, from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, also in Indianapolis.

Hinkle Fieldhouse is the home of the Big East's Butler, while the NBA's Pacers and the WNBA's Fever play at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Here’s a breakdown of the NIT schedule: 

• First round: Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18
• Second round: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22
• Quarterfinals: Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25
• Semifinals: Thursday, April 2
• Championship: Sunday, April 5

NIT history, past champions

Here's a look at past NIT champions dating back to 2000 per NCAA.com:

• 2000: Wake Forest
• 2001: Tulsa
• 2002: Memphis
• 2003: St. John's*
• 2004: Michigan
• 2005: South Carolina
• 2006: South Carolina
• 2007: West Virginia
• 2008: Ohio State
• 2009: Penn State
• 2010: Dayton
• 2011: Wichita State
• 2012: Stanford
• 2013: Baylor
• 2014: Minnesota
• 2015: Stanford
• 2016: George Washington
• 2017: TCU
• 2018: Penn State
• 2019: Texas
• 2020: Canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
• 2021: Memphis
• 2022: Xavier
• 2023: North Texas
• 2024: Seton Hall
• 2025: Tennessee–Chattanooga

* Denotes vacated by the NCAA

The list of all the NIT champions since 1938 can be found here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NIT bracket reveal: Time, TV schedule, streaming info

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