I have heard and read that, “No one cares about the NIT“.
For those that don’t know, the NIT stands for the National Invitational Tournament. Into the late 1950’s, the NIT was as prestigious as the NCAA tournament is now. Recently, the NCAA has purchased the NIT.
The way this tourney works is that the games are played on campus, usually at the higher seed. The Final Four is traditionally held at Madison Square. There are 32 teams in the tournament.
Even though the earlier rounds are played on campus, these are NCAA events. That means that everyone has to purchase a full price ticket, no student discounts. Also, all of the “club” seating arrangements are out the window. So if you are a fan of a team that is always sold out, this is a great chance to grab front row seats.
So, as I was saying, many fans think the NIT sucks. I don’t get it. I think it is a good tournament for teams that may not be in the top 40 or so. I have been to about 5 NIT games over the years in College Park (Md.). They have been entertaining, a fair value and I got to see Maryland play teams that they do not usually play.
This year, we could have Maryland, Va Tech, Kentucky, Florida, Cinncinatti, Georgetown, Arizona, Providence. Michigan and I am sure some other top flight programs in the NIT. It could be a blast.
Is it the NCAA tournament, no. Are you going to get a home game out of the NCAA’s, no. So there could be some benefits.
So if you have read this far in the column, can you give me some feedback. Do you think the NIT is good or bad?
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I believe people have forgotten the history of the NIT and think of it as being a consolation prize for teams that couldn’t “hack it” in the NCAA tournament. This opinion isn’t limited to fans. Maryland was a #1 seed in 2006 and got drummed out in the first round by Manhattan. The players didn’t take the opportunity seriously and were embarrassed because of it. Every other #1 seed in that tournament made it at least as far as the quarterfinals, and Michigan ended up playing for the championship.
In light of that fact, this may be a problem for schools like Maryland – who made so many consecutive trips to the NCAA that it came to be considered something of a birthright that Maryland would always have a seed reserved for it. Other schools have gotten good over the past two decades and mid-majors now make noise on an annual basis. The same year Maryland lost in the first round of the NIT, George Mason made it to the Final Four by dropping UConn in overtime. They were good and it was an uncommon event for them. It probably meant more to them than Maryland’s 11th straight appearance did to the Terps.
Maryland will return to the NCAAs on a regular basis with the addition of a bit more talent, but they’ll likely always have to play hard in the last few games of the season to make it a sure thing. There are now too many competitive teams to phone it in. In the meantime, if they’re humbled by the NIT, even if it’s not something to be ashamed of, perhaps it will act as motivation to return next year and not repeat the experience.