The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is making significant changes to its selection process starting in 2024. The NIT Board of Managers announced that automatic bids will no longer be awarded to conference regular-season champions who don’t win their conference tournament or aren’t among the 68 teams selected for the NCAA Tournament. This decision has sparked discussions about the impact on college basketball, particularly for mid-major and low-major conferences.
Under the new selection process, the NIT will guarantee two teams from each of the following conferences: Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and Southeastern. The top two teams in the NET rankings from each conference, regardless of their won-loss record, will be selected. These 12 teams will also have the opportunity to host a first-round game in the NIT.
To complete the field of 32 teams, the NIT will select the 20 best available teams. Priority will be given to the “first four teams out” of the NCAA tournament, meaning those teams that narrowly missed out on a spot in the prestigious event.
In addition to the changes in the selection process, the NIT Board and NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee have agreed to experimental rules for the 2024 tournament. One notable change is the widening of the free throw lane from 12 feet to 16 feet, aligning it with the NBA and FIBA standards. The games will also continue to use the modified timeout format introduced last year, which reduces the number of media timeouts in the second half.
The decision by the NIT to eliminate guaranteed spots for regular-season conference winners who don’t win their league tournaments has raised concerns among mid-major and low-major conferences. There is a fear that as power conferences expand and exert their influence, smaller schools will be left behind. Some have even suggested that expanding the NCAA Tournament or creating separate postseason tournaments for power conferences could be necessary to maintain the tournament’s integrity.
The NIT’s new selection process seems to favor non-qualifying Power 6 teams, which already have significant advantages such as financial resources, scheduling against tougher opponents, and NIL opportunities. This means that teams finishing in the lower ranks of the Power 6 conferences could potentially earn NIT bids over higher-ranked teams from mid-major conferences. For example, last season, Ohio State and Rutgers, both with mediocre records, would have earned NIT bids solely based on their NET rankings.
Critics argue that this change undermines the essence of college basketball and further widens the gap between power conferences and mid-major conferences. The NIT, which falls under the purview of the NCAA, has also raised concerns about the potential implications for the NCAA Tournament. While it is too early to label this as an NCAA Tournament test balloon, there is a sense of paranoia among some observers.
Dan Gavitt, NIT Board Chair and NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball, defended the changes, stating that the postseason college basketball landscape is becoming more competitive for teams that don’t qualify for March Madness. He believes that the new selection process is necessary to evolve the historic tournament in a dynamic event marketplace.
In conclusion, the NIT’s decision to change its selection process and experimental rules for the 2024 tournament has sparked discussions about the future of college basketball. The elimination of automatic bids for regular-season conference champions and the emphasis on Power 6 teams have raised concerns about the widening gap between power conferences and mid-major conferences. Only time will tell how these changes will impact the college basketball landscape and whether further adjustments will be necessary to maintain fairness and competitiveness in the sport.