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The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is making a comeback in 2021.
After being canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA announced on Monday that the NIT would be returning this year.
This year’s tournament will feature 16 teams — half of the usual field size — and will be held in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to an official statement from the NCAA.
The tournament will officially tip-off on Wednesday, March 17, and run through Sunday, March 28.
The NIT will feature 16 teams, with all games played in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. https://t.co/yazLFF69Jy
— David Worlock (@DavidWorlock) March 1, 2021
“Games will be played at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas and at UNT Coliseum on the campus of North Texas in Denton, Texas,” the NCAA statement said. “First-round games will be played Wednesday, March 17, through Saturday, March 20. Quarterfinals also will take place Thursday, March 25. The semifinals and championship will take place Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28. 2021 also will feature a third-place game Sunday, March 28, which hasn’t been played at the NIT since 2003. All 16 games of the 2021 NIT will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.
“Because of the reduced field size, all 16 teams will be selected as at-large participants, and there will be no automatic qualifiers for the NIT.”
It has been almost one year since the coronavirus pandemic impacted the sports world, so it is great to see things getting closer to normal as March Madness prepares to re-enter our lives.
