NIT, Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament to Shrink to 24 Teams in 2027

The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) will shrink from 32 teams to 24 beginning in 2027, the NCAA announced, as the organization adjusts its postseason structure following the expansion of its primary tournaments.

The change comes after the NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments expanded to 76 teams this season, up from the long-standing 68-team bracket. The larger NCAA tournament field leaves fewer at-large and bubble teams available for secondary postseason events, prompting organizers to scale back the NIT and WBIT accordingly.

The NIT has long served as a consolation postseason tournament for teams that fall short of qualifying for the NCAA tournament, while the WBIT was launched more recently as a women's counterpart. Both events give additional teams a chance to extend their season and compete in a postseason setting.

With the NCAA tournaments now drawing on a deeper pool of teams, the NIT and WBIT fields will adjust to maintain a meaningful level of competition among remaining eligible programs rather than diluting the field further.

The NCAA did not detail further format changes, such as seeding procedures or venue plans, for the smaller NIT and WBIT fields, which take effect with the 2027 postseason.

The restructuring reflects the broader ripple effects of this season's NCAA tournament expansion, which has prompted conferences and secondary postseason events to reassess how they allocate spots among eligible teams.