Death of the NIT?

[18IsTheMan]

Ole Miss and Indiana have declined invites to the NIT to focus on roster building as the transfer portal opens Monday.

Wonder if this will become a trend for major programs, to prioritize hitting the portal over playing in a make-believe tournament. If so, that doesn’t bode well for the NIT’s future. It would be the only good that has ever come from the portal. (Yes, I’m aware we have several players from the portal. I’m still anti-portal.)

 

[muscleknight]

The only thing the NIT did for us was allow us to put up banners to make our rafters look fuller.

 

[18IsTheMan]

The only thing the NIT did for us was allow us to put up banners to make our rafters look fuller.

Don’t forget all the extra practice time. Where would we have been without back to back years of extra practice time?

 

[DrMickeySC]

If lower bowl games are any indication, rosters are going to be decimated for teams that don’t make the NCAA tourney the second seeds are announced. So yes, the NIT is on life support.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Pitt, Oklahoma, Memphis and St. Johns also declined NIT bids.

 

[ToddFlanders]

I think it's on its way down, but I think it started with taking away auto bids from low-major conference champs that didn't win their tournaments. They've "watered down" the field, by trying to make it stronger. Now, you won't have those teams that really care in there, and make the tournament interesting.

It's just the big conferences trying to have more teams playing and collecting more overall for their pools of money. But it's clear the tournament is more of a nuisance to the better high-major programs that were on the bubble.

 

[Big JC]

If the NIT went away would anybody notice?

 

[18IsTheMan]

If the NIT went away would anybody notice?

The only real carrot the NIT had to offer was getting play at Madison Square Garden. That is no longer the case, and may not be in the future/

 

[Big JC]

The only real carrot the NIT had to offer was getting play at Madison Square Garden. That is no longer the case, and may not be in the future/

I admire the teams that declined the invitation. UGA is going and they finished 1 game over .500 and 6-13 in the SEC. A season like that should be allowed to mercifully end as soon as possible.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Tom Crean went on a rant about teams declining the NIT this year.

7 years ago, when he was coach at IU, they declined an NIT bid so as not to “devalue” the court.

 

[Cocky Hobbit]

Was it ever alive? It's a participation trophy tournament.

 

[Crutcher]

Was it ever alive? It's a participation trophy tournament.

It used to be a big deal. NIT participants were teams that did not win their conference championship tournament. Top Ten teams would often be included. I remember talk that the NCAA and NIT winners should square off at the end of the season.

 

[KingWard]

It used to be a big deal. NIT participants were teams that did not win their conference championship tournament. Top Ten teams would often be included. I remember talk that the NCAA and NIT winners should square off at the end of the season.

In the old days, the NIT was so well respected that Al McGuire TURNED DOWN an NCAA bid just to take his team to New York. No one who doesn't remember could imagine that now.

 

[Crutcher]

In the old days, the NIT was so well respected that Al McGuire TURNED DOWN an NCAA bid just to take his team to New York. No one who doesn't remember could imagine that now.

If I remember correctly, back in the day, the networks had counter-programming. I believe NBC had the NCAA's and CBS had the NIT. Sometimes the NIT had better match-ups.

 

[will110]

If the NIT went away would anybody notice?

Nope.

 

[atl-cock]

When only 24 schools got to dance, the NIT had some caché.

 

[KingWard]

If the NIT went away would anybody notice?

Not anymore.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Funny that the NIT at least used to have a couple days before the NCAAT to themselves, then the NCAA created the play-in games to run at the same time as the NIT opening rounds.

 

[KingWard]

Was it ever alive? It's a participation trophy tournament.

Yes, it was alive. Very much alive.

 

[atl-cock]

I watched ESPN's NIT "wraparound" coverage last evening. The announcers mentioned that the NCAA is now using the NIT to experiment with rules changes, such as a 16ft wide lane. Akin to minor league football's experiments.

I frown upon schools declining NIT invitations. If you enjoy playing basketball, go out and play! If your team has a 10-20 record heading into the final week of play, do you forfeit the rest of your games?

 

[KingWard]

I watched ESPN's NIT "wraparound" coverage last evening. The announcers mentioned that the NCAA is now using the NIT to experiment with rules changes, such as a 16ft wide lane. Akin to minor league football's experiments.

I frown upon schools declining NIT invitations. If you enjoy playing basketball, go out and play! If your team has a 10-20 record heading into the final week of play, do you forfeit the rest of your games?

I frown on it also, but the "experimental" angle is farcical, When postseason competition in itself means nothing beyond playing opportunity, it's hard to justify.

 

[atl-cock]

I frown on it also, but the "experimental" angle is farcical, When postseason competition in itself means nothing beyond playing opportunity, it's hard to justify.

The 16ft wide lanes seemed to have had no impact to this untrained eye.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I watched ESPN's NIT "wraparound" coverage last evening. The announcers mentioned that the NCAA is now using the NIT to experiment with rules changes, such as a 16ft wide lane. Akin to minor league football's experiments.

I frown upon schools declining NIT invitations. If you enjoy playing basketball, go out and play! If your team has a 10-20 record heading into the final week of play, do you forfeit the rest of your games?

I don't mind the declining of NIT invitations. It is, for all intents and purposes, an exhibition tournament. I certainly would not equate it to forfeiting regular season games.

For another, I believe post-season play is a reward. I think it sends the wrong message to reward poor play.

But, as it is, every coach has to decide what's in the program's best interest. This year, 17 teams decided it was more advantageous to hit the portal early and start getting ready for next year.

 

[atl-cock]

I don't mind the declining of NIT invitations. It is, for all intents and purposes, an exhibition tournament. I certainly would not equate it to forfeiting regular season games.

For another, I believe post-season play is a reward. I think it sends the wrong message to reward poor play.

But, as it is, every coach has to decide what's in the program's best interest. This year, 17 teams decided it was more advantageous to hit the portal early and start getting ready for next year.

I don't mind the declining of NIT invitations. It is, for all intents and purposes, an exhibition tournament. I certainly would not equate it to forfeiting regular season games.

For another, I believe post-season play is a reward. I think it sends the wrong message to reward poor play.

But, as it is, every coach has to decide what's in the program's best interest. This year, 17 teams decided it was more advantageous to hit the portal early and start getting ready for next year.

I guess the NIT these days is the equivalent of a third tier bowl.

I see your point, Also, bad timing for the portal.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I guess the NIT these days is the equivalent of a third tier bowl.

I see your point, Also, bad timing for the portal.

Yes, I'm very surprised with the portal timing. Seems to intentionally knee cap the NIT.

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

Yes, it was alive. Very much alive.

It used to be THE tournament before the NCAAT.