Printable 2026 NIT bracket: Schedule, teams and seeds

The men's NCAA Tournament gets most of the buzz this time of year, and rightly so. The selection committee picks who they believe are the 68 best teams in college basketball, and give them the right to battle it out in March Madness. However, for those left on the outside looking in – specifically 'on the bubble' as bracketologists have coined it – there is a consolation prize. That would be the NIT, which selects the best of the rest to prove that they, actually, belonged in the Field of 68.

Whether that be Auburn, New Mexico or Wake Forest, these programs have earned the right to keep on playing. The NIT is even more valuable in 2026 than in past years, as the CBI is taking a year off. With that, let's dive into the tournament, and everything you need to know when filling out an NIT bracket.

Printable NIT bracket

Yes, you can fill out your NIT bracket online if you're into that sort of thing. However, there's something to be said of doing it the old-fashioned way. Yes, I mean quite literally printing out a bracket (go to your local Staples if you, like me, no longer own a printer), and determining which 'best of the rest' teams deserve the most recognition.

In doing so, it's important to keep in mind that not every program that barely missed out on the NCAA Tournament will participate in the NIT. It's not the honor it once was, and some programs would rather get a head start on recruiting and the NIL circuit. Power to them, but for the sake of this article, it's important to understand exactly what you're getting yourself into.

How to score your NIT bracket

• 1-2-4-8-16-32: Award a point for each correct pick in the first round, then multiply the award for the previous round by two for each correct pick in each subsequent round up to 32 points for correctly picking the national title winner. This is the most common type of scoring, including what ESPN and other major online brackets use.
• 1-2-3-4-5-6: Award a point for each correct pick in the first round, then add an extra point for correct pick in each round up to six points for correctly picking the national title winner. This scoring system gives less weight to picks further into the tournament.
• 1-1-1-1-1-1: Award a point for each correct pick regardless of round. This scoring system crowns a winner based on who correctly guessed the largest number of games across the whole tournament.
• Upset bonus: Use one of the above scoring systems but double points for correct picks where a lower seed beat the higher seed. Ex. In the second round, correctly picking the No. 10 seed over the No. 2 seed would earn you four points.
• Seed/multiplier scoring: Use one of the above scoring systems but multiply the points in each round by the winning seed number. Ex. In the second round, correctly picking a No. 10 seed would earn you 20 points while correctly picking a No. 1 seed to win would earn you two points.

NIT Tournament schedule and key dates

The NIT tournament starts on March 17 and runs through April 5, ending with a championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

NIT Tournament structure and selection process

32 teams are selected to the NIT, with more likely receiving an invite when others decline (typically Power 4 teams that want a head start on recruiting or don't see the value in a postseason tournament). Teams that won their conference's regular-season title but did not make the NCAA Tournament get an automatic bid, as well, as long as they rank better than 125th in advanced metrics. Two guaranteed bids go to teams in the ACC and SEC that didn't make March Madness. One more automatic bid goes to each team in the top-12 conferences via KenPom that didn't make the NCAA Tournament.

The NIT has four regions with eight teams in each region. The higher seeds in each region host the lower seeds at their home arena. The semifinals and final are held in Indianapolis on a neutral floor.

What teams declined NIT invitations

Indiana reportedly declined an invitation to the NIT and all other postseason tournaments after missing the NCAA Tournament.

How to watch the NIT live

The NIT can be watched live on the ESPN family of networks, typically on ESPN, ESPN2 or even ESPNU. The vast majority of first and second round games will not be broadcast on ESPN, as there are some scheduling conflicts with the women's NCAA Tournament.

The semifinals will be broadcast on ESPN, while the final can be seen on ESPN April 5.

Historic moments and past NIT champions

The 2025 NIT Championship was a game to remember, with the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs defeated the University of California–Irvine Anteaters 85–84. In 2024, Seton Hall scored the final nine points to notch a comeback win over Indiana State.

Last 10 NIT champions

Who has won the most NIT championships?

Believe it or not, St. John's has won the most NIT championships, as the Red Storm have five of those to their name. Those span from 1943 to 2003. However, they haven't won the tournament since 1989, and won't be in the NIT this season, either. Rick Pitino and the Red Storms have their sights set on a far larger goal in 2026.

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