# 2012 National Invitation Tournament

The 2012 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2012 NCAA tournament. The annual tournament began on March 13 on campus sites and ended on March 29 at Madison Square Garden. Stanford defeated Minnesota in the final game, by a score of 75–51 to become NIT champions for second time (first since 1991).

## Participants
### Automatic qualifiers

The following teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2012 NIT field by virtue of winning their conferences' regular season championship but failing to win their conference tournament. These teams also did not receive an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament.
| Team | Conference | Record | Appearance | Last bid |
| Akron | MAC | 22–11 | 5th | 2008 |
| Bucknell | Patriot League | 24–9 | 1st | Never |
| Drexel | Colonial | 27–6 | 7th | 2007 |
| Middle Tennessee | Sun Belt | 25–6 | 3rd | 1988 |
| Nevada | WAC | 26–6 | 5th | 2010 |
| Oral Roberts | Summit | 27–6 | 8th | 2005 |
| Savannah State | MEAC | 21–11 | 1st | Never |
| Stony Brook | America East | 22–9 | 2nd | 2010 |
| Texas–Arlington | Southland | 24–8 | 2nd | 1981 |
| Valparaiso | Horizon | 22–11 | 2nd | 2003 |

### Seeds

Washington Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Washington | Pac-12 | 21–10 | At-large |
| 2 | Dayton | Atlantic 10 | 20–12 | At-large |
| 3 | Oregon | Pac-12 | 22–9 | At-large |
| 4 | Northwestern | Big Ten | 18–13 | At-large |
| 5 | Akron | MAC | 22–11 | Automatic |
| 6 | LSU | SEC | 18–14 | At-large |
| 7 | Iowa | Big Ten | 17–16 | At-large |
| 8 | UT-Arlington | Southland | 24–8 | Automatic |
Tennessee Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Tennessee | SEC | 18–14 | At-large |
| 2 | Miami (FL) | ACC | 19–12 | At-large |
| 3 | La Salle | Atlantic 10 | 21–12 | At-large |
| 4 | Middle Tennessee | Sun Belt | 25–6 | Automatic |
| 5 | Marshall | Conference USA | 21–13 | At-large |
| 6 | Minnesota | Big Ten | 19–14 | At-large |
| 7 | Valparaiso | Horizon | 22–11 | Automatic |
| 8 | Savannah State | MEAC | 21–11 | Automatic |
Seton Hall Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Seton Hall | Big East | 20–12 | At-large |
| 2 | Saint Joseph's | Atlantic 10 | 20–13 | At-large |
| 3 | Drexel | Colonial | 27–6 | Automatic |
| 4 | Mississippi State | SEC | 21–11 | At-large |
| 5 | UMass | Atlantic 10 | 22–11 | At-large |
| 6 | UCF | Conference USA | 22–10 | At-large |
| 7 | Northern Iowa | Missouri Valley | 19–13 | At-large |
| 8 | Stony Brook | America East | 22–9 | Automatic |
Arizona Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Arizona | Pac-12 | 23–11 | At-large |
| 2 | Mississippi | SEC | 20–13 | At-large |
| 3 | Stanford | Pac-12 | 21–11 | At-large |
| 4 | Oral Roberts | Summit | 27–6 | Automatic |
| 5 | Nevada | WAC | 26–6 | Automatic |
| 6 | Cleveland State | Horizon | 22–10 | At-large |
| 7 | Illinois State | Missouri Valley | 20–13 | At-large |
| 8 | Bucknell | Patriot | 24–9 | Automatic |

## Bracket

Played on the home court of the higher-seeded team except #7 seed Iowa hosts #2 seed Dayton since Dayton is the host of the NCAA First Four and cannot host a first-round NIT game.
| First round March 13–14 | First round March 13–14 | First round March 13–14 | Second round March 16–19 | Second round March 16–19 | Second round March 16–19 | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN |
| 1 | Washington | 82 | | | | | | |
| 8 | UT Arlington | 72 | | | | | | |
| 8 | UT Arlington | 72 | 1 | Washington | 76 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Northwestern | 55 | | | |
| 4 | Northwestern | 76 | 4 | Northwestern | 55 | | | |
| 5 | Akron | 74 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Akron | 74 | | | | 1 | Washington | 90 |
| | | | | | | 3 | Oregon | 86 |
| 3 | Oregon | 96 | | | | | | | 3 | Oregon | 86 |
| 6 | LSU | 76 | | | | | | |
| 6 | LSU | 76 | 3 | Oregon | 108 | | | |
| | | | 7 | Iowa | 97 | | | |
| 2 | Dayton | 72 | 7 | Iowa | 97 | | | |
| 7 | Iowa | 84 | | | | | | |
| First round March 13–14 | First round March 13–14 | First round March 13–14 | Second round March 16–19 | Second round March 16–19 | Second round March 16–19 | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN |
| 1 | Tennessee | 65 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Savannah State | 51 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Savannah State | 51 | 1 | Tennessee | 64 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Middle Tennessee | 71 | | | |
| 4 | Middle Tennessee | 86 | 4 | Middle Tennessee | 71 | | | |
| 5 | Marshall | 78 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Marshall | 78 | | | | 4 | Middle Tennessee | 72 |
| | | | | | | 6 | Minnesota | 78 |
| 3 | La Salle | 61 | | | | | | | 6 | Minnesota | 78 |
| 6 | Minnesota | 70 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Minnesota | 70 | 6 | Minnesota | 78 | | | |
| | | | 2 | Miami (FL) | 60 | | | |
| 2 | Miami (FL) | 66 | 2 | Miami (FL) | 60 | | | |
| 7 | Valparaiso | 50 | | | | | | |
| First round March 13–14 | First round March 13–14 | First round March 13–14 | Second round March 16–19 | Second round March 16–19 | Second round March 16–19 | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN2 | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN2 | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN2 |
| 1 | Seton Hall | 63 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Stony Brook | 61 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Stony Brook | 61 | 1 | Seton Hall | 67 | | | |
| | | | 5 | UMass | 77 | | | |
| 4 | Mississippi State | 96 | 5 | UMass | 77 | | | |
| 5 | UMass | 101$^{2OT}$ | | | | | | |
| 5 | UMass | 101$^{2OT}$ | | | | 5 | UMass | 72 |
| | | | | | | 3 | Drexel | 70 |
| 3 | Drexel | 81 | | | | | | | 3 | Drexel | 70 |
| 6 | UCF | 56 | | | | | | |
| 6 | UCF | 56 | 3 | Drexel | 65 | | | |
| | | | 7 | Northern Iowa | 63 | | | |
| 2 | Saint Joseph's | 65 | 7 | Northern Iowa | 63 | | | |
| 7 | Northern Iowa | 67 | | | | | | |
| First round March 13–14 | First round March 13–14 | First round March 13–14 | Second round March 16–19 | Second round March 16–19 | Second round March 16–19 | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN2 | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN2 | Quarterfinals March 20–21 ESPN2 |
| 1 | Arizona | 54 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Bucknell | 65 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Bucknell | 65 | 8 | Bucknell | 67 | | | |
| | | | 5 | Nevada | 75 | | | |
| 4 | Oral Roberts | 59 | 5 | Nevada | 75 | | | |
| 5 | Nevada | 68 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Nevada | 68 | | | | 5 | Nevada | 56 |
| | | | | | | 3 | Stanford | 84 |
| 3 | Stanford | 76 | | | | | | | 3 | Stanford | 84 |
| 6 | Cleveland State | 65 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Cleveland State | 65 | 3 | Stanford | 92$^{OT}$ | | | |
| | | | 7 | Illinois State | 88 | | | |
| 2 | Ole Miss | 93 | 7 | Illinois State | 88 | | | |
| 7 | Illinois State | 96$^{OT}$ | | | | | | |

### Semifinals and final

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 27 and March 29
| Semifinals March 27 ESPN2 | Semifinals March 27 ESPN2 | Semifinals March 27 ESPN2 | Championship March 29 ESPN | Championship March 29 ESPN | Championship March 29 ESPN |
| 1 | Washington | 67 | | | |
| 6 | Minnesota | 68$^{OT}$ | | | |
| 6 | Minnesota | 68$^{OT}$ | 6 | Minnesota | 51 |
| | | | 3 | Stanford | 75 |
| 5 | UMass | 74 | 3 | Stanford | 75 |
| 3 | Stanford | 84 | | | |