2025 NIT Tournament: Breaking down the latest rules and qualification criteria

The National Invitational Tournament is viewed by many as the second biggest postseason tournament following the NCAA tournament. The 2025 edition of the tournament will see some significant changes.

These adjustments did not come out of nowhere, either. In 2024, the NIT removed automatic bids for teams that won the regular season title in their respective conference but failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament.

That tournament featured 12 squads from the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East and Pac-12, no matter the record, which negatively impacted the opportunities of low- or mid-major teams.

For 2025, the NIT board adjusted its stance on automatic bids. They will grant two spots to the SEC and ACC, while some remaining conferences will get one each.

Here are the rules and criteria for the upcoming tournament.

What will the 2025 NIT Tournament rules and criteria look like?

The 2025 NIT Tournament will allow coaches to challenge officials' decisions involving out-of-bounds calls. The rule is experimental, but it will allow coaches to appeal those calls in the last two minutes of games instead of the officiating crew voluntarily reviewing the play.

However, if coaches appeal a decision with no timeouts, they will receive a technical foul and the opposing team will be awarded two free throws if the challenge is unsuccessful. They won't be punished if the challenge is successful.

Regarding the 2025 NIT Tournament criteria, 16 "exempt" teams will be given bids to the tourney. According to the NIT board, exempt teams are squads not selected for the NCAA Tournament, with two coming from the SEC and ACC. The programs that are given an exempt bid will have the opportunity to host a game in the first round of the NIT.

How will these teams that receive a spot in the NIT Tournament be assessed? They will be determined based on an average by numerous ranking systems:

• ESPN Basketball Power Index (BPI)
• Kevin Pauga Index (KPI)
• Ken Pomeroy Rating (KenPom)
• Strength of Record (SOR)
• Torvik ranking
• NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET)
• Wins Above Bubble (WAB) ranking

After exempt teams are given their spots, regular season champions will have a chance to receive their respective bids. There is one condition for them. They must have a score of 125 or better from the ranking systems' average to be considered for the bids.

The members of the committee are:

• Tim Duncan (committee chairman, senior deputy athletics director at Memphis)
• Dena Freeman-Patton (vice president and director of athletics at Morgan State)
• Clifton Douglass (Conference USA's associate commissioner for basketball)
• Tubby Smith (former coach)
• Jeff Jones (former coach)
• Phil Martelli (former coach)
• Gary Waters (former coach)
• Bob Williams (former coach)

The 2025 NIT Tournament will commence on Mar. 18, 2025. The semifinals and championship game will take place at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Apr. 1 and 3.