INDIANAPOLIS — The National Invitation Tournament has selected Las Vegas to host the 2023 NIT semifinals and championship and Indianapolis to host the 2024 event.
The two host cities were selected after a nation-wide bid process in the spring. Hosted by UNLV, the 2023 semifinals and championship game will be played March 28 and 30 at Orleans Arena. In 2024, Butler will serve as host with games played at Hinkle Fieldhouse, April 2 and 4.
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The NIT will continue to feature a 32-team field with the first round, second round and quarterfinals played at campus sites. For the second year, the 2023 NIT will seed only the top 16 teams (top-four teams in each pod) and place the remaining 16 teams selected into the bracket geographically where possible.
In its meeting, the NIT board also selected former men’s basketball head coaches Rick Byrd, Bob McKillop and Gary Waters to join the NIT committee.
One of the winningest coaches in Division I men’s basketball, Byrd recorded 805 wins during a 38-year career at Maryville (Tennessee), Lincoln Memorial and Belmont. Byrd’s teams made the NCAA tournament or NIT 12 times, including a trip to the NIT quarterfinals in 2014. His total of 805 total wins ranks 13th among all coaches in NCAA Division I history.
McKillop announced his retirement in June after a career that made him the winningest coach in Davidson history. In 33 years at Davidson, McKillop finished with a record of 634-381 and led the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament or NIT 18 times and his 2008 team advanced to the Men’s Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion Kansas.
Waters led teams to the NCAA tournament or NIT 10 times in his 20 years as head coach at Kent State, Rutgers and Cleveland State. In 2004, his Rutgers team advanced to the NIT championship game. Before becoming a collegiate head coach, Waters was an assistant at his alma mater Ferris State as well as at Eastern Michigan for 22 years.
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Byrd, McKillop and Waters will join the NIT committee, which will be chaired by Wren Baker, North Texas vice president and director of athletics. Other members of the 2022-23 NIT Committee are the vice president of athletics and recreation at New Orleans, Tim Duncan; former Virginia director of athletics Craig Littlepage; commissioner of the West Coast Conference, Gloria Nevarez; and former Division I men’s basketball coach Bob Williams.
The 2023 championship will be the 86th NIT. Selections, pairings and the bracket will be announced March 12 with games beginning Tuesday, March 14. For more information on the championship visit ncaa.com/NIT.
