NIT 2015: Eligible Teams, Tournament Format and Schedule

A new-look National Invitational Tournament hits the big stage this month to help in a big way when it comes to the "Madness" part of March Madness.

Yes, the tournament takes a backseat to the Big Dance itself. Yes, the NIT can be a punchline in many a bad-NBA-team joke. In past years, yes, the format left something missing in the minds of fans, so much so that bubble teams that missed the Big Dance opted to sit at home instead of participate.

Times are changing, though. Alterations to the NIT are for the better, and it's still a real season-ending showdown for the 32 teams that accept bids—and it all culminates at the historic Madison Square Garden.

Changes won't bump the NIT past the Big Dance by any means, but the competitions will be just as fierce and worthwhile.

2015 NIT Men's Early Schedule Info

Dates	Rounds	Venue
March 17-18	First-Round Games	Campus sites
March 20-23	Second-Round Games	Campus sites
March 24-25	Quarterfinal Games	Campus sites
March 31	Semifinals	Madison Square Garden
April 2	NIT Championship	Madison Square Garden

Note: Schedule information courtesy of NCAA.com. A blank bracket is available here.

Changing for the Better 

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The NIT has taken it upon itself to change the format for the better for teams and fans. 

This time, when the NCAA tournament releases the anticipated list of 68 teams fortunate enough to qualify for the Big Dance, those on the list that just miss out will secure a top seed.

Adam Zagoria of SNY broke the news:

NCAA vice president of men's basketball championships Dan Gavitt explained the thought behind the decision in a release: "[The first four out] have earned the opportunity to be a number one seed in the NIT and play home games in their quest to make it to Madison Square Garden for the NIT championship. We believe this is an appropriate way to connect these two postseason tournaments."

In the past, the last four out were not guaranteed No. 1 seeds in the NIT. Most ended there anyway, but it's still a change for the better.

Alright, so maybe that doesn't sound too interesting, but it's a willingness on the tournament's part to modernize and give 32 teams—including those heartbroken ones—a fair shake.

The tournament also serves as a testing ground. This year, it will test out a 30-second shot clock for the purposes of research to see if the sport as a whole should make a change.

A whole five seconds doesn't sound like a lot, but that's per possession for each team. In theory, it leads to more scoring. More scoring means more entertainment. One public advocate of the change is Louisville coach Rick Pitino, as captured by Jeff Greer of The Courier-Journal:

A faster pace than ever while teams put everything on the line screams must-see television.

If the experiment is a success, the NIT in future years may be a testing ground for a further evolution of the sport.

Eligible Teams

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Winners of conference regular-season championships are eligible for the NIT.

So yes, the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats can participate.

Kidding aside, a conference tournament championship will send any team to the NCAA tournament, as will an at-large bid, keeping it from the NIT.

The NIT picks the teams on Selection Sunday with the aforementioned automatic bids securing the No. 1 seed. The committee does its best to pick the best eligible teams after the first four, most of the time meaning losers in mid-major tournaments get a nod.

Take Murray State for example. The Racers won an epic 25 games in a row to finish 27-5 but dropped a one-point decision to Belmont in the Ohio Valley Conference championship.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports sums up the situation:

It's not set in stone, but it seems an unfortunate turn of events for one of the nation's most exciting teams. Not only do the Racers rank 10th at 79.1 points scored per game, sophomore guard Cameron Payne (20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists) is one of the game's hidden treasures.

For their part, coach Steve Prohm and his team are accepting of their fate.

"We're very, very deserving if you look at what we've done and you've watched us play," Prohm said, per The Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "These guys deserve it. I hope we get an opportunity. If not, we'll be gracious about it and go play in the NIT."

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Right now, some of the other teams perhaps ready to join the Racers are quite intriguing. Going off Joe Lunardi's bracketology, Miami (Fla.), Old Dominion, Tulsa and Texas A&M are the first four out—meaning they're the No. 1 seeds in the NIT if they accept the bid. 

Tulsa is interesting because of individual star power. James Woodard just poured in 30 points on 10 conversions from behind the arc. Big man Tonye Jekiri, who rules the glass with 10.2 rebounds on average, leads Miami. Old Dominion houses one of the nation's best scorers in Trey Freeman (17.2 points per game). Texas A&M is just downright exciting, even more so if it gets star Danuel House back.

While much of this can change, the point is simple—the NIT isn't something to scoff at. It will feature some of the most exciting talent in the land with a few wrinkles that change how teams play the game.

In a way, it's a great form of madness.

Stats and info are courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.