How to Understand the NIT Tournament

The National Invitation Tournament has lost prestige over the years in comparison to the NCAA Tournament, and has become known as the "Not Invited Tournament". Then in 2005 the NCAA took over the NIT as part of a court settlement and ensured its survival. It may not have the glory of the NCAA's, but it has a role if you understand the NIT Tournament.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Honor your team. Even if a school doesn't make it to the NCAA's, you should understand that an invitation to the NIT Tournament is still a sign of a good season. Everyone from fans to the schools to the players can agree that an NIT berth is better than sitting at home. Even if the 32 teams in the field are the "best of the rest" it means your school is better than more than 200 other Division I college basketball programs.

2. Count the cash. Schools make money off playing in the NIT Tournament, and every athletic department constantly looks for ways to improve the bottom line. Every game means additional television revenue, ticket sales and concessions.

3. Prepare for next season. Coaches would rather get a berth in the NCAA's, but they understand that a spot in the NIT Tournament is a good way to get extra work in to help jump start the following season. It can take some of the sting out of not being invited to the "Big Dance," and a winning run in the NIT's is good for momentum through the off season.

4. Soak in the history. The finals of the NIT Tournament are played in New York City at historic Madison Square Garden, and that's still an impressive venue. Players and fans like the chance to visit New York City and soak in the atmosphere of the hall that has hosted so many historic sporting matches and big events. They understand it's an honor to play on this stage in that city.

5. Give recruits a chance to see your team play. If you aren't on television, you're invisible to many high school basketball players, so a chance to play several games in the NIT Tournament on national TV lets recruits understand how your program works.

6. Get noticed by the media. With the semifinals and the championship of the NIT Tournament played in New York City, the games are at home for some of the biggest and most influential sports writers and news organizations. It can only help a program to be noticed by the media.

7. Know how the field is selected. Although the NCAA gets first choice of the best 65 college basketball teams in the country, the NIT Tournament now pays close attention to getting the next best 32. Conference regular season champions that do not make the NCAA get an automatic bid to the NIT, and the selection committee understands it has strong guidelines for picking top schools instead of just those that draw or travel well.

Resources

• Official website of the NIT Tournament