Current season, competition or edition: 2024 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament | |
Sport | Basketball |
---|---|
Founded | 2009 |
Founder | CollegeInsider.com |
First season | 2009 |
No. of teams | 9 |
Country | United States |
Most recent champion(s) | Norfolk State |
Most titles | No team has won more than one title |
TV partner(s) | Fox College Sports (2009–2012) CBS Sports Network (2013–2019) ESPN+ (2024–) |
Related competitions | National Invitation Tournament College Basketball Invitational |
Official website | www |
The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) is an American men's college basketball postseason tournament founded by CollegeInsider.com. The tournament is oriented toward teams that did not get selected for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament or National Invitation Tournament (NIT) that reside outside of the "major conferences" (defined by CollegeInsider.com as the Power Five conferences, Atlantic 10 Conference, American Athletic Conference, Big East Conference, Conference USA and Mountain West Conference).
The tournament was first contested in 2009. In 2012, it expanded to 32 participating teams, but contracted to 26 teams for the 2016, 2017, and 2019 editions, and 20 teams in 2018. The tournament was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the tournament was re-launched and rebranded as The Basketball Classic. [1] While neither The Basketball Classic nor the CIT were contested in 2023, CollegeInsider.com announced in early March that the CIT will be revived in a 16-team pod-based format for the 2023–24 postseason. [2] Ultimately, only nine teams agreed to play in the 2024 edition. [3]
The tournament initially consisted of five rounds, single elimination-style, and claims to "use the old NIT model in which matchups in future rounds are determined by the results of the previous round". [4] The revived CIT, starting in 2024, features an altered format: "Four schools will host four 4-team pods with two semifinals and finale the next day. The [four] winners will advance to the CIT national semifinals to be played on campus sites with the championship game to also be played at the site of the highest remaining seed. The entire field will be seeded 1-16." [5] Criteria for selection include, but are not limited to, win–loss record, strength of schedule, strength of conference, and final ten games. Teams from "major conferences" are generally ineligible. Participating teams must finish the regular season with a .500 winning percentage or better to qualify. The only exception to this was the now-defunct Great West Conference Tournament winner, who was given an automatic bid to play in the CIT if they were not given an at-large bid to participate in the NCAA or NIT tournaments, until the dissolution of the conference in 2013–14. [6] In 2013, the Chicago State Cougars won the Great West Conference Tournament, thus becoming the first team to participate in the CIT with a sub-.500 record (11–21). From the 2016 Tournament to 2019, The Coach John McLendon Classic was played on the first day of the tournament. The Classic was to feature at least one historically black college/university. The winner of the John McLendon Classic advanced to the second round of the CIT. This was the first time in NCAA Division I Basketball history that a "Classic" has been part of a postseason tournament. Previously the John McLendon Classic was played during the regular season.
Teams must pay $30,000 to host a game. [7]
In 2013, CBS Sports Network partnered with the CIT, showing only the championship game, with the earlier rounds streamed live online. Free registration is required to view the games. Starting in 2014, CBSSN aired the semifinals and the championship game. [8] In 2017 the early rounds of the tournament were shown on Facebook Live. In 2018 Monday's 4 classics were announced for CBSSN. All remaining games until the semifinals were moved to CBS' Sports Live streaming service and watchcit.com.
The following is an overview and list of the announcers and television networks to broadcast the CIT:
Year | Network | Play-by-Play | Color analyst | Sideline |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Fox College Sports | Dave Baker | Kyle Macy | |
2010 | ||||
2011 | ||||
2012 | Dave Calloway | |||
2013 [9] | CBSSN | |||
2014 [10] | Dave Popkin | Dave Calloway | ||
2015 [11] | Kyle Macy | Kevaney Martin | ||
2016 [12] | ||||
2017 [13] | ||||
2018 | ||||
2019 | WatchCIT | Jake Griffith | Bob Bolen | |
2020-2023 | Not held | |||
2024 | Spartan Showcase |
Year | Champion | Runner-up | MVP | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Old Dominion | Bradley | Frank Hassell [14] | |
2010 | Missouri State | Pacific | Will Creekmore [15] | |
2011 | Santa Clara | Iona | Kevin Foster [16] | |
2012 | Mercer | Utah State | Langston Hall [17] | |
2013 | East Carolina | Weber State | Maurice Kemp | |
2014 | Murray State | Yale | Cameron Payne | |
2015 | Evansville | Northern Arizona | D. J. Balentine | |
2016 | Columbia | UC Irvine | Maodo Lo | |
2017 | Saint Peter's | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | Quadir Welton | |
2018 | Northern Colorado | UIC | Andre Spight | |
2019 | Marshall | Green Bay | C. J. Burks | |
2020–2023 | Not held | |||
2024 | Norfolk State | Purdue Fort Wayne | Christian Ings |
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The tournament is played at regional sites with its Final Four played at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City up until 2022. Starting in 2023, the NIT Final Four began following the format of the NCAA Tournament by having its Final Four at different venues each season. First held in 1938, the NIT was once considered the most prestigious post-season showcase for college basketball before its status was superseded in the mid-1950s by the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
The Fairfield Stags men's basketball team represents Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The Stags play their home games in the 3,500 seat Leo D. Mahoney Arena on campus. The team is currently coached by Chris Casey, his first year at the helm.
The College Basketball Invitational (CBI) is a men's college basketball tournament created in 2007 by The Gazelle Group. The inaugural tournament occurred after the conclusion of the 2007–08 men's college basketball regular season. The CBI selects 16 teams that are not selected for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament or the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), and who are willing to pay a $27,500 entry fee to participate. In the CBI, prior to 2020 teams competed on home courts. After the post-COVID pandemic revival, the tournament has been staged at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. The CBI is a single-elimination tournament. Prior to 2020, the tournament was single elimination until the final two teams were determined, after which the championship was determined by a championship series with a best-two-out-of-three format. Since the tournament's 2021 revival and adoption of the single-site format, the championship is also determined by a single game. In 2023, the CBI introduced NIL funding of $40,000 to be distributed in the following manner: $25,000 to the champion, $10,000 to the runner-up, and $2,500 to each semifinalist.
College Basketball on CBS Sports is the branding used for broadcasts of men's NCAA Division I basketball games that are produced by CBS Sports, for CBS, CBSSN, and Facebook.
The 2009 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a single-elimination tournament of 16 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams. Old Dominion defeated Bradley 66–62 in the tournament final.
The 2010 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a postseason single-elimination tournament of 16 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams.
The 2011 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a postseason single-elimination tournament of 24 NCAA Division I teams. The CIT began with 12 first-round games. Four of the teams that won first-round games advanced to the quarterfinals, while the other eight teams played for the right to advance to the quarterfinals in the second round March 18–19. The announcement of the 2011 field was made on March 13, 2011.
The Youngstown State Penguins men's basketball team represents Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. The team currently competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as a member of the Horizon League, of which it has been a member since 2001. Since 1972, home games are played at the 6,300-seat Beeghly Center on the YSU campus.
The 2012 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a postseason single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams, up from 24 teams in the 2011 CIT. The CIT began with 16 first-round games. Games took place March 13–28, 2012.
Collegeinsider.com is a sports website based in Boston that is noted particularly for its basketball polls, awards and sponsored tournament.
The 2013 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a postseason single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams. Games took place throughout March 2013. The semifinals were played on March 30, with the championship game played on April 2, 2013.
The 2014 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2014 NCAA tournament. The annual tournament started on campus sites for the first three rounds, with the Final 4 and championship game being held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The tournament began on Tuesday, March 18 and ended on Thursday, April 3. Minnesota won this tournament after being the third Big Ten team in a row to make the NIT Finals.
The 2014 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a postseason single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams. The first round started March 17, 2014. The semifinals were played on April 1, with the championship game played on April 3, 2014.
The 2016 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2016 NCAA tournament. The annual tournament was played on campus sites for the first three rounds, with the Final Four and championship game being held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The tournament began on Tuesday, March 15 and ended on Thursday, March 31. An experimental rule allowing players six personal fouls instead of five was approved for use in all national postseason tournaments except for the NCAA Tournament. The NIT Selection Show aired at 8:30 PM EDT on Sunday, March 13, 2016, on ESPNU. George Washington were the champions over Valparaiso 76–60. The Colonials victory was their first-ever NIT title.
The 2016 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a postseason single-elimination tournament of 26 NCAA Division I basketball teams. The first round was played March 14–16, 2016. The second round March 18–20, Quarterfinals March 22–24 the semifinals March 27, and the championship game was played on March 29
The 2017 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a postseason single-elimination tournament of 26 NCAA Division I basketball teams. The tournament was played March 13–31, 2017.
The 2018 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a postseason single-elimination tournament of NCAA Division I basketball teams. The tournament began on March 12, 2018, and concluded on March 30, 2018.
The 2019 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a postseason single-elimination tournament of NCAA Division I basketball teams. The tournament began on March 18, 2019, and concluded on April 4, 2019.
The 2024 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I men's college basketball teams not selected to participate in the 2024 NCAA tournament. The tournament began on March 19 and ended on April 4. The first three rounds were played on campuses, with the semifinal and championship final played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The 2024 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a postseason single-elimination tournament of NCAA Division I basketball teams. This was the first CIT contested since 2019. The 2020 and 2021 CITs were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the CIT was replaced by The Basketball Classic. Neither The Basketball Classic nor the CIT were contested in 2023. However, CollegeInsider.com announced in early March 2024, that the CIT was to be revived in a 16-team pod-based format for the 2023–24 postseason. Ultimately, only nine teams agreed to play in the 2024 edition.