# 2008 National Invitation Tournament

The 2008 National Invitation Tournament (known through sponsorship as the MasterCard NIT) was a single-elimination tournament of 32 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that did not participate in the 2008 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The 71st annual tournament began on March 18 on campus sites and ended on April 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Each regular season conference champion that did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament received an automatic bid to this tournament. The remaining slots were filled by the NIT Selection Committee. The first, second, and third rounds were played on the higher seeded team's home court, with the semi-finals and finals played at Madison Square Garden.
The Ohio State Buckeyes won the tournament.

## Selection Committee

The 2008 NIT Selection Committee consists of the following former college basketball coaches and administrators:
* Rudy Davalos
* Don DeVoe
* Gene Keady
* Reggie Minton
* C. M. Newton (Chair)
* John J. Powers
* Carroll Williams

## Participants
### Automatic qualifiers

The following teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2008 NIT field after losing in their respective conference tournaments; by virtue of winning their conferences' regular season championship and not qualifying for the NCAA tournament.
| Team | Conference | Record | Appearance | Last bid |
| Alabama State | SWAC | 20–10 | 2nd | 1983 |
| Morgan State | MEAC | 22–10 | 1st | Never |
| Robert Morris | Northeast | 26–7 | 1st | Never |
| Stephen F. Austin | Southland | 26–5 | 2nd | 1987 |
| UC Santa Barbara | Big West | 23–8 | 5th | 2003 |
| UNC Asheville | Big South | 23–9 | 1st | Never |
| Utah State | WAC | 24–10 | 9th | 2007 |
| VCU | CAA | 24–7 | 5th | 2005 |

### Seedings

| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Ohio State | Big Ten | 19–13 | At-large |
| 2 | Illinois State | MVC | 24–9 | At-large |
| 3 | Dayton | A-10 | 21–10 | At-large |
| 4 | California | Pac-10 | 16–15 | At-large |
| 5 | New Mexico | MWC | 24–8 | At-large |
| 6 | Cleveland State | Horizon | 21–12 | At-large |
| 7 | Utah State | WAC | 24–10 | Automatic |
| 8 | UNC Asheville | Big South | 23–9 | Automatic |
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Virginia Tech | ACC | 19–13 | At-large |
| 2 | Ole Miss | SEC | 21–10 | At-large |
| 3 | Nebraska | Big 12 | 19–12 | At-large |
| 4 | VCU | CAA | 24–7 | Automatic |
| 5 | UAB | C-USA | 22–10 | At-large |
| 6 | Charlotte | A-10 | 20–13 | At-large |
| 7 | UC Santa Barbara | Big West | 23–8 | Automatic |
| 8 | Morgan State | MEAC | 22–10 | Automatic |
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Arizona State | Pac-10 | 19–12 | At-large |
| 2 | Florida | SEC | 21–11 | At-large |
| 3 | Creighton | MVC | 21–10 | At-large |
| 4 | Southern Illinois | MVC | 17–14 | At-large |
| 5 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 17–15 | At-large |
| 6 | Rhode Island | A-10 | 21–11 | At-large |
| 7 | San Diego State | MWC | 20–12 | At-large |
| 8 | Alabama State | SWAC | 20–10 | Automatic |
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Syracuse | Big East | 19–13 | At-large |
| 2 | UMass | A-10 | 21–10 | At-large |
| 3 | Florida State | ACC | 19–14 | At-large |
| 4 | Minnesota | Big Ten | 20–13 | At-large |
| 5 | Maryland | ACC | 18–14 | At-large |
| 6 | Akron | MAC | 23–10 | At-large |
| 7 | Stephen F. Austin | Southland | 26–5 | Automatic |
| 8 | Robert Morris | NEC | 26–7 | Automatic |

## Bracket

| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | Ohio State | 84 | | | | | | |
| 8 | UNC Asheville | 66 | | | | | | |
| 8 | UNC Asheville | 66 | 1 | Ohio State^ | 73 | | | |
| | | | 4 | California | 56 | | | |
| 4 | California | 68 | 4 | California | 56 | | | |
| 5 | New Mexico | 66 | | | | | | |
| 5 | New Mexico | 66 | | | | 1 | Ohio State | 74 |
| | | | | | | 3 | Dayton | 63 |
| 3 | Dayton | 66 | | | | | | | 3 | Dayton | 63 |
| 6 | Cleveland State | 57 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Cleveland State | 57 | 3 | Dayton | 55 | | | |
| | | | 2 | Illinois State | 48 | | | |
| 2 | Illinois State | 61 | 2 | Illinois State | 48 | | | |
| 7 | Utah State | 57 | | | | | | |
^ Game played at nearby St. John Arena due to a Bruce Springsteen concert at Value City Arena.
| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | Virginia Tech | 94 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Morgan State | 62 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Morgan State | 62 | 1 | Virginia Tech | 75 | | | |
| | | | 5 | UAB | 49 | | | |
| 4 | VCU | 77 | 5 | UAB | 49 | | | |
| 5 | UAB | 80 | | | | | | |
| 5 | UAB | 80 | | | | 1 | Virginia Tech | 72 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Mississippi | 81 |
| 3 | Nebraska | 67 | | | | | | | 2 | Mississippi | 81 |
| 6 | Charlotte | 48 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Charlotte | 48 | 3 | Nebraska | 75 | | | |
| | | | 2 | Mississippi | 85* | | | |
| 2 | Mississippi | 83 | 2 | Mississippi | 85* | | | |
| 7 | UC Santa Barbara | 68 | | | | | | |
| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | Arizona State | 64 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Alabama State | 53 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Alabama State | 53 | 1 | Arizona State | 65 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Southern Illinois | 51 | | | |
| 4 | Southern Illinois | 69 | 4 | Southern Illinois | 51 | | | |
| 5 | Oklahoma State | 53 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Oklahoma State | 53 | | | | 1 | Arizona State | 57 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Florida | 70 |
| 3 | Creighton | 74 | | | | | | | 2 | Florida | 70 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | 73 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Rhode Island | 73 | 3 | Creighton | 54 | | | |
| | | | 2 | Florida | 82 | | | |
| 2 | Florida | 73 | 2 | Florida | 82 | | | |
| 7 | San Diego State | 49 | | | | | | |
| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | Syracuse | 87 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Robert Morris | 81 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Robert Morris | 81 | 1 | Syracuse | 88 | | | |
| | | | 5 | Maryland | 72 | | | |
| 4 | Minnesota | 58 | 5 | Maryland | 72 | | | |
| 5 | Maryland | 68 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Maryland | 68 | | | | 1 | Syracuse | 77 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Massachusetts | 81 |
| 3 | Florida State | 60 | | | | | | | 2 | Massachusetts | 81 |
| 6 | Akron | 65* | | | | | | |
| 6 | Akron | 65* | 6 | Akron | 63 | | | |
| | | | 2 | Massachusetts | 68 | | | |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 80 | 2 | Massachusetts | 68 | | | |
| 7 | Stephen F. Austin | 60 | | | | | | |

### Semifinals and Final

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 1 and 3
| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Ohio State | 81 | | | |
| 2 | Mississippi | 69 | | | |
| 2 | Mississippi | 69 | 1 | Ohio State | 92 |
| | | | 2 | Massachusetts | 85 |
| 2 | Florida | 66 | 2 | Massachusetts | 85 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 78 | | | |
* - Overtime game.