SMU, Dayton, UC Irvine, and San Francisco have secured the No. 1 seeds for the 2025 NIT. The 32-team field was revealed, with action commencing on Tuesday at various campus sites. The tournament will conclude in Indianapolis, Indiana, with semifinals on April 1 and the championship game on April 3.

The NIT format will experience changes this year due to the College Basketball Crown, a new postseason tournament initiated by Fox Sports, starting this spring. The NCAA allocated 16 bids to “exempt” teams fulfilling specific criteria for the NIT this season.

Behold, the #NIT2025 bracket.
The road to Indy starts Tuesday night. pic.twitter.com/fLk4FwzhQN

Only four power conference teams are participating in the NIT: Georgia Tech, Stanford, SMU, and Oklahoma State. Several high-major programs, including Indiana, South Carolina, and Wake Forest, opted not to accept invitations to the NIT after failing to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Last year, teams such as Oklahoma, Pitt, St. John’s, and Indiana similarly declined invitations.

Key Dates for the 2025 NIT:
First Round: March 18-19
Second Round: March 22-23
Quarterfinals: March 25-26
Semifinals: April 1 (Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis)
Championship: April 3 (Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis)

First Round Schedule:
Top Left Bracket:

• No. 1 SMU vs. Northern Iowa | Wednesday, 7 p.m.
• No. 2 North Texas vs. Furman | Tuesday, 9 p.m.
• No. 3 Arkansas State vs. Saint Louis | Tuesday, 9 p.m.
• No. 4 Oklahoma State vs. Wichita State | Tuesday, 9 p.m.

Bottom Left Bracket:

• No. 1 Dayton vs. Florida Atlantic | Wednesday, 7 p.m.
• No. 2 George Mason vs. Samford | Wednesday, 7 p.m.
• No. 3 Bradley vs. North Alabama | Wednesday 8 p.m.
• No. 4 Middle Tennessee vs. Chattanooga | Tuesday, 8 p.m.

Upper Right Bracket:

• No. 1 UC Irvine vs. Northern Colorado | Wednesday, 10 p.m.
• No. 2 Santa Clara vs. UC Riverside | Tuesday, 11 p.m.
• No. 3 Saint Joseph’s vs. UAB | Wednesday, 7 p.m.
• No. 4 Georgia Tech vs. Jacksonville State | Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Lower Right Bracket:

• No. 1 San Francisco vs. Utah Valley | Wednesday, 11 p.m.
• No. 2 Stanford vs. CSUN | Tuesday, 11 p.m.
• No. 3 St. Bonaventure vs. Kent State | Tuesday, 7 p.m.
• No. 4 San Jose State vs. Loyola Chicago | Wednesday 11 p.m.