NIT 2020: Tournament Dates, Seed Format and Bracket Release Info

Though the NCAA tournament eats up most of the men's college basketball conversation from here on out, the NIT remains a prominent showcase for teams left on the Selection Sunday cutting-room floor. 

As great as March Madness can be for providing exposure to small schools and showcasing teams that got hot at the right time, those two features can also be bugs. 

If a low-major college succeeds in the regular season but loses in its conference tournament, then it will likely miss the NCAA tournament. Similarly, if a high-major school gets off to a slow start and finishes strong once it returns to form, but can't make it out of the first round of a deep conference, then it is also not seriously considered for college basketball's top tournament.

Those may both be fair ways to decide the 68 best teams in the country, but the NIT can rectify whatever disappointments may arise.

Bracket Release

As per usual, the NIT bracket will be unveiled the same day as the NCAA tournament one. Once that more anticipated field is announced Sunday, the NIT bracket will be easier to predict.

As a rule of thumb, most "bubble" teams that fail to make the NCAA tournament are invited to the NIT, as are regular-season mid- and low-major teams that lose in their conference tournaments.

ESPNU will broadcast the NIT Selection Special at 8:30 p.m. ET.

2019 NIT Dates

March 17-18: 1st round

March 19-23: 2nd round

March 24-25: Quarterfinals

March 31: Semifinals

April 2: Final

Information via NCAA.com

Bracket Format

The NIT is constructed as a 32-team tournament, with four regions made up of eight seeds apiece.

The first three rounds will all be played on the higher seed's campus, while the semifinals and final will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Notable Potential Entrants

Though Conference Championship Week remains very much in flux, there's still some speculation we can provide about the potential top NIT seeds.

Undoubtedly, a leading contender will be Northern Iowa. After running through the Missouri Valley Conference to claim the top seed in the MVC postseason tournament, the Panthers were surprisingly crushed 77-56 in the quarterfinals by eighth-seeded Drake. Though UNI ostensibly still has a case to make the NCAA tournament, its strength of schedule may make that difficult.

Another team on the bubble with a great case to top-line the NIT will be Tennessee. The SEC tournament doesn't even kick off until Wednesday afternoon, but the Vols actually have home-court advantage in their first matchup against Alabama.

However, with a 17-14 and a 9-9 conference record, head coach Rick Barnes sounds like he's preparing for the worst.

Speaking to Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel, he said: "I think this team needs to play as much as we possibly can." Barnes added that the team would accept an NIT bid if offered.

As the ensuing days unfold, we'll slowly get a better picture of what the 32-team NIT field might look like. Hopefully, if the bubble becomes crowded and deserving teams are left out of March Madness, the NIT will benefit and host a competitive tournament.