# 2016 National Invitation Tournament

The 2016 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2016 NCAA tournament. The annual tournament was played on campus sites for the first three rounds, with the Final Four and championship game being held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The tournament began on Tuesday, March 15 and ended on Thursday, March 31. An experimental rule allowing players six personal fouls instead of five was approved for use in all national postseason tournaments except for the NCAA Tournament. The NIT Selection Show aired at 8:30 PM EDT on Sunday, March 13, 2016, on ESPNU. George Washington were the champions over Valparaiso 76–60. The Colonials victory was their first-ever NIT title.

## Participants
### Automatic qualifiers

The following 15 teams earned automatic berths into the 2016 NIT field by virtue of having won their respective conference's regular season championship but failing to win their conference tournaments or receive an at-large NCAA bid.
| Team | Conference | Record | Appearance | Last bid |
| Akron | MAC | 26–8 | 4th | 2012 |
| Belmont | Ohio Valley | 20–11 | 3rd | 2014 |
| Bucknell | Patriot | 17–13 | 3rd | 2015 |
| High Point | Big South | 21–10 | 2nd | 2014 |
| Hofstra | CAA | 24–9 | 5th | 2007 |
| IPFW | Summit | 24–9 | 1st | Never |
| Monmouth | MAAC | 27–7 | 1st | Never |
| New Mexico State | WAC | 23–10 | 5th | 2000 |
| North Florida | Atlantic Sun | 22–11 | 1st | Never |
| Saint Mary's | WCC | 27–5 | 5th | 2015 |
| San Diego State | Mountain West | 25–9 | 6th | 2009 |
| Texas Southern | SWAC | 18–14 | 2nd | 2011 |
| UAB | C-USA | 26–6 | 12th | 2010 |
| Valparaiso | Horizon | 26–6 | 3rd | 2012 |
| Wagner | NEC | 22–10 | 3rd | 2002 |

### At-large bids

The following 17 teams were also awarded NIT berths.
| Team | Conference | Record | Appearance | Last bid |
| Alabama | SEC | 18–14 | 14th | 2015 |
| BYU | West Coast | 23–10 | 12th | 2013 |
| Creighton | Big East | 18–14 | 11th | 2011 |
| Davidson | Atlantic 10 | 20–12 | 7th | 2014 |
| Florida | SEC | 19–14 | 10th | 2009 |
| Florida State | ACC | 19–13 | 10th | 2014 |
| George Washington | Atlantic 10 | 23–10 | 6th | 2015 |
| Georgia | SEC | 19–13 | 13th | 2014 |
| Georgia Tech | ACC | 19–14 | 8th | 2003 |
| Houston | American | 22–9 | 10th | 2006 |
| Long Beach State | Big West | 20–14 | 8th | 2013 |
| Ohio State | Big Ten | 20–13 | 9th | 2008 |
| Princeton | Ivy | 22–6 | 6th | 2002 |
| South Carolina | SEC | 24–8 | 12th | 2009 |
| St. Bonaventure | Atlantic 10 | 22–8 | 16th | 2002 |
| Virginia Tech | ACC | 19–14 | 13th | 2011 |
| Washington | Pac-12 | 18–14 | 8th | 2013 |

### Seeds

The first four teams left out of the NCAA tournament were the top seeds in the four regions, as in last year's tournament. They were St. Bonaventure, South Carolina, Monmouth and Valparaiso.
St. Bonaventure Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | St. Bonaventure | Atlantic 10 | 22–8 | At-large |
| 2 | BYU | West Coast | 23–10 | At-large |
| 3 | Virginia Tech | ACC | 19–14 | At-large |
| 4 | Creighton | Big East | 18–14 | At-large |
| 5 | Alabama | SEC | 18–14 | At-large |
| 6 | Princeton | Ivy | 22–6 | At-large |
| 7 | UAB | C-USA | 26–6 | Automatic |
| 8 | Wagner | Northeast | 22–10 | Automatic |
South Carolina Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | South Carolina | SEC | 24–8 | At-large |
| 2 | San Diego State | Mountain West | 25–9 | Automatic |
| 3 | Washington | Pac-12 | 18–14 | At-large |
| 4 | Georgia Tech | ACC | 19–14 | At-large |
| 5 | Houston | American | 22–9 | At-large |
| 6 | Long Beach State | Big West | 20–14 | At-large |
| 7 | IPFW | Summit | 24–9 | Automatic |
| 8 | High Point | Big South | 21–10 | Automatic |
Valparaiso Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Valparaiso | Horizon | 26–6 | Automatic |
| 2 | Saint Mary's | West Coast | 27–5 | Automatic |
| 3 | Georgia | SEC | 19–13 | At-large |
| 4 | Florida State | ACC | 19–13 | At-large |
| 5 | Davidson | Atlantic 10 | 20–12 | At-large |
| 6 | Belmont | Ohio Valley | 20–11 | Automatic |
| 7 | New Mexico State | WAC | 23–10 | Automatic |
| 8 | Texas Southern | SWAC | 18–14 | Automatic |
Monmouth Bracket :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Monmouth | MAAC | 27–7 | Automatic |
| 2 | Florida | SEC | 19–14 | At-large |
| 3 | Ohio State | Big Ten | 20–13 | At-large |
| 4 | George Washington | Atlantic 10 | 23–10 | At-large |
| 5 | Hofstra | Colonial | 24–9 | Automatic |
| 6 | Akron | MAC | 26–8 | Automatic |
| 7 | North Florida | Atlantic Sun | 22–11 | Automatic |
| 8 | Bucknell | Patriot | 17–13 | Automatic |

## Schedule

The NIT began on Tuesday March 15. The first three rounds were played on campus sites. The Final Four began on Tuesday, March 29 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and ended there with the championship game on Thursday, March 31.

## Bracket

^Florida was not able to host home games at the O'Connell Center due to arena renovations.
| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | Monmouth | 90 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Bucknell | 80 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Bucknell | 80 | 1 | Monmouth | 71 | | | |
| | | | 4 | George Washington | 87 | | | |
| 4 | George Washington | 82 | 4 | George Washington | 87 | | | |
| 5 | Hofstra | 80 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Hofstra | 80 | | | | 4 | George Washington | 82 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Florida^ | 77 |
| 2 | Florida^ | 97 | | | | | | | 2 | Florida^ | 77 |
| 7 | North Florida | 68 | | | | | | |
| 7 | North Florida | 68 | 2 | Florida^ | 74 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Ohio State | 66 | | | |
| 3 | Ohio State | 72* | 3 | Ohio State | 66 | | | |
| 6 | Akron | 63 | | | | | | |
| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | St. Bonaventure | 75 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Wagner | 79 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Wagner | 79 | 8 | Wagner | 54 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Creighton | 87 | | | |
| 4 | Creighton | 72 | 4 | Creighton | 87 | | | |
| 5 | Alabama | 54 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Alabama | 54 | | | | 4 | Creighton | 82 |
| | | | | | | 2 | BYU | 88 |
| 2 | BYU | 97 | | | | | | | 2 | BYU | 88 |
| 7 | UAB | 79 | | | | | | |
| 7 | UAB | 79 | 2 | BYU | 80 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Virginia Tech | 77 | | | |
| 3 | Virginia Tech | 86* | 3 | Virginia Tech | 77 | | | |
| 6 | Princeton | 81 | | | | | | |
| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | South Carolina | 88 | | | | | | |
| 8 | High Point | 66 | | | | | | |
| 8 | High Point | 66 | 1 | South Carolina | 66 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Georgia Tech | 83 | | | |
| 4 | Georgia Tech | 81 | 4 | Georgia Tech | 83 | | | |
| 5 | Houston | 62 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Houston | 62 | | | | 4 | Georgia Tech | 56 |
| | | | | | | 2 | San Diego State | 72 |
| 2 | San Diego State | 79 | | | | | | | 2 | San Diego State | 72 |
| 7 | IPFW | 55 | | | | | | |
| 7 | IPFW | 55 | 2 | San Diego State | 93 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Washington | 78 | | | |
| 3 | Washington | 107 | 3 | Washington | 78 | | | |
| 6 | Long Beach State | 102 | | | | | | |
| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 1 | Valparaiso | 84 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Texas Southern | 73 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Texas Southern | 73 | 1 | Valparaiso | 81 | | | |
| | | | 4 | Florida State | 69 | | | |
| 4 | Florida State | 84 | 4 | Florida State | 69 | | | |
| 5 | Davidson | 74 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Davidson | 74 | | | | 1 | Valparaiso | 60 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Saint Mary's | 44 |
| 2 | Saint Mary's | 58 | | | | | | | 2 | Saint Mary's | 44 |
| 7 | New Mexico State | 56 | | | | | | |
| 7 | New Mexico State | 56 | 2 | Saint Mary's | 77 | | | |
| | | | 3 | Georgia | 65 | | | |
| 3 | Georgia | 93 | 3 | Georgia | 65 | | | |
| 6 | Belmont | 84 | | | | | | |
| Semifinals March 29 | Semifinals March 29 | Semifinals March 29 | Final March 31 | Final March 31 | Final March 31 |
| 1 | Valparaiso | 72 | | | |
| 2 | BYU | 70 | | | |
| 2 | BYU | 70 | 1 | Valparaiso | 60 |
| | | | 4 | George Washington | 76 |
| 2 | San Diego State | 46 | 4 | George Washington | 76 |
| 4 | George Washington | 65 | | | |
* Denotes overtime period

## Media

ESPN, Inc. had exclusive television rights to all NIT games. It will telecast every game across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN3 (ESPNews was used for the Valparaiso–Florida State game). Since 2011, Westwood One had exclusive radio rights to the semifinals and championship. In 2016 Scott Graham and Kelly Tripucka provided the call.