The NIT is an ancient, if slightly notorious, college basketball tradition. Every year fans of NCAA tournament-bound schools serenade their rivals with chants of "N-I-T," likely oblivious to the fact that the historic tournament predates its larger, more prestigious cousin.
However, on Friday college basketball fans mobilized to defend the staple of March Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Traditionally, the NIT field automatically includes any team that wins its conference's regular-season title but does not qualify for the NCAA tournament—historically a boon for mid- and low-majors.
In 2024, that will change. The field will now guarantee berths to 12 teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, Pac-12 and SEC regardless of record, and will extend no such courtesy to low-major regular-season champions.
The move proved wildly unpopular with college basketball writers and fans already scarred by football-centric realignment.
Many expressed that the move displayed a fundamental misunderstanding of the NIT's appeal to fans and schools.
They got this totally back-ass-wards. Schools from smaller leagues coming off great seasons actually get excited about a potential NIT title. The ninth place finisher in a power conference never will https://t.co/Qk6g72p65g
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) October 27, 2023
Dissatisfaction with college sports's money-chasing direction reigned.
Let’s screw, say, UNC Asheville who went 15-3 in conference play and put 5-13 Penn State in the NIT!
— Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) October 27, 2023
Rewarding people for having money rather than success is not the move.
The revamped NIT was frequently framed as a reaction to rumblings that Fox would attempt to stage a postseason tournament on its family of networks.
Feels like a fairly clear response to the “FOX-IT” in Vegas that was floated earlier this offseason. https://t.co/UMDonJe0ZM
— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) October 27, 2023
The NCAA opting to not reward NIT auto bids in '24 to mid-major reg-season champs (that don't make NCAAT) feels like a direct reaction to Fox trying to stage a power-conf-only postseason event (that some don't want anyway). All of this is less than ideal.https://t.co/iFMNHSHCYo
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 27, 2023
MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher directly attacked the new policy.
Commissioner Steinbrecher weighs in on recent changes to NIT procedures and policy. pic.twitter.com/pVd5Ukg1kN
— #MACtion (@MACSports) October 27, 2023
Doomsaying ran rampant as some wondered whether the NCAA was setting up future protections for power conferences in other tournaments.
If your reaction to this NIT change is the slippery slope of guaranteeing more Power conference access in other NCAA-run championships and less for mid-majors, well you're not alone.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 27, 2023
Bad teams that would've qualified for past NITs under the new rules were flagged.
On the flipside: Today is a monumental day for great teams like 2019 Penn State (14-18) and 2022 Kansas State (14-17), who both would have been automatically in the NIT if these rules existed back then. https://t.co/9B68ldfXID
— Rocco Miller (@RoccoMiller8) October 27, 2023
Some fans focused on the fact that the NIT's selection procedures, once fairly straightforward, were now just plain difficult to understand.
Trying to understand the new NIT selection rules: pic.twitter.com/ZRb91RPusT
— mooser (@btownmoose) October 27, 2023
The reality that the NIT's changes were instituted a year after North Texas beat UAB to win it did not go unnoticed.
The NIT has two mid-majors in the title game and they start tweaking. F them https://t.co/ai9zfloVwI
— The Burger Pauper (@OmarRashonBorja) October 27, 2023
