# 2006 National Invitation Tournament

The 2006 National Invitation Tournament was the first time the tournament was planned and operated by the NCAA, taking over after 68 years under the auspices of the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA). The 2006 NIT also saw changes made to the selection process as well as being the first time the NIT seeded the participants. The South Carolina Gamecocks won their second straight NIT title.

## Selected teams

Below are lists of the team selected for the tournament. This was the first year selected teams were given bracket seeds.
Maryland Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference |
| #1 | Maryland | ACC |
| #2 | Saint Joseph's | A-10 |
| #3 | Hofstra | CAA |
| #4 | Colorado | Big 12 |
| #5 | Old Dominion | CAA |
| #6 | Nebraska | Big 12 |
| #7 | Penn State | Big Ten |
| #8 | Rutgers | Big East |
| #9 | Manhattan | MAAC |
| #10 | Fairleigh Dickinson | NEC |
Michigan Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference |
| #1 | Michigan | Big Ten |
| #2 | Creighton | MVC |
| #3 | Miami (FL) | ACC |
| #4 | Vanderbilt | SEC |
| #5 | Notre Dame | Big East |
| #6 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 |
| #7 | Temple | A-10 |
| #8 | Akron | MAC |
| #9 | UTEP | C-USA |
| #10 | Lipscomb | A-Sun |
Louisville Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference |
| #1 | Louisville | Big East |
| #2 | Missouri State | MVC |
| #3 | Houston | C-USA |
| #4 | Clemson | ACC |
| #5 | Louisiana Tech | WAC |
| #6 | BYU | MWC |
| #7 | Stanford | Pac-10 |
| #8 | Virginia | ACC |
| #9 | Northern Arizona | Big Sky |
| #10 | Delaware State | MEAC |
Cincinnati Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference |
| #1 | Cincinnati | Big East |
| #2 | Florida State | ACC |
| #3 | South Carolina | SEC |
| #4 | Minnesota | Big Ten |
| #5 | Wake Forest | ACC |
| #6 | Western Kentucky | Sun Belt |
| #7 | Miami (OH) | MAC |
| #8 | Butler | Horizon |
| #9 | Charlotte | A-10 |
| #10 | Georgia Southern | So-Con |

## Bracket

Below are the four brackets of the tournament, along with the bracket of the four-team championship round. Also the highest remaining seeds hosted the games.

### Maryland Bracket

| Opening Round | Opening Round | Opening Round | First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 9 | Manhattan | 80 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Fairleigh Dickinson | 77 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Fairleigh Dickinson | 77 | 1 | Maryland | 84 | | | | | | |
| | | | 9 | Manhattan | 87 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 9 | Manhattan | 66 | | | |
| | | | | | | 5 | Old Dominion | 70 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Colorado | 61 | | | | | | |
| | | | 5 | Old Dominion | 79 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 5 | Old Dominion | 61 |
| | | | | | | | | | 3 | Hofstra | 51 |
| 7 | Penn State | 71 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Hofstra | 51 |
| 8 | Rutgers | 76 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Rutgers | 76 | 2 | Saint Joseph's | 71 | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | Rutgers | 62 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Saint Joseph's | 75 | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | Hofstra | 77 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Hofstra | 73 | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Nebraska | 62 | | | | | | |

### Michigan Bracket

| Opening Round | Opening Round | Opening Round | First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 9 | UTEP | 85 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Lipscomb | 66 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Lipscomb | 66 | 1 | Michigan | 82 | | | | | | |
| | | | 9 | UTEP | 67 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 1 | Michigan | 87 | | | |
| | | | | | | 5 | Notre Dame | 84 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Vanderbilt | 69 | | | | | | |
| | | | 5 | Notre Dame | 79 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | Michigan | 71 |
| | | | | | | | | | 3 | Miami (FL) | 65 |
| 7 | Temple | 73 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Miami (FL) | 65 |
| 8 | Akron | 80 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Akron | 80 | 2 | Creighton | 71 | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | Akron | 60 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Creighton | 52 | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | Miami (FL) | 53 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Miami (FL) | 62 | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Oklahoma State | 59 | | | | | | |

### Louisville Bracket

| Opening Round | Opening Round | Opening Round | First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 9 | Northern Arizona | 53 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Delaware State | 58 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Delaware State | 58 | 1 | Louisville | 71 | | | | | | |
| | | | 10 | Delaware State | 54 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 1 | Louisville | 74 | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Clemson | 68 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Clemson | 69 | | | | | | |
| | | | 5 | Louisiana Tech | 53 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | Louisville | 74 |
| | | | | | | | | | 2 | Missouri State | 56 |
| 7 | Stanford | 65 | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Missouri State | 56 |
| 8 | Virginia | 49 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Virginia | 49 | 2 | Missouri State | 76 | | | | | | |
| | | | 7 | Stanford | 67 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Missouri State | 60 | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | Houston | 59 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Houston | 77 | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | BYU | 67 | | | | | | |

### Cincinnati Bracket

| Opening Round | Opening Round | Opening Round | First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal |
| 9 | Charlotte | 77 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Georgia Southern | 61 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Georgia Southern | 61 | 1 | Cincinnati | 86 | | | | | | |
| | | | 9 | Charlotte | 80 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 1 | Cincinnati | 76 | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Minnesota | 62 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Minnesota | 73 | | | | | | |
| | | | 5 | Wake Forest | 58 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | Cincinnati | 62 |
| | | | | | | | | | 3 | South Carolina | 65 |
| 7 | Miami (OH) | 52 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | South Carolina | 65 |
| 8 | Butler | 53 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Butler | 53 | 2 | Florida State | 67 | | | | | | |
| | | | 8 | Butler | 63 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Florida State | 68 | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | South Carolina | 69 | | | |
| | | | 3 | South Carolina | 74 | | | | | | |
| | | | 6 | Western Kentucky | 55 | | | | | | |

### Semifinals & finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 5 | Old Dominion | 43 | | | |
| 1 | Michigan | 66 | | | |
| 1 | Michigan | 66 | 1 | Michigan | 64 |
| | | | 3 | South Carolina | 76 |
| 1 | Louisville | 63 | 3 | South Carolina | 76 |
| 3 | South Carolina | 78 | | | |