NIT bracket 2023: Tournament schedule, dates, times as first-round action begins Tuesday

Clemson, Oklahoma State, Oregon and Rutgers secured No. 1 seeds for the 2023 NIT. The field was announced Sunday with action beginning Tuesday at campus sites for the 32-team field which will culminate with semifinals on March 28 in Las Vegas with a championship game to follow on March 30.

While an NIT appearance marks a consolation prize of sorts for some programs such as Michigan that harbored at-large hopes for an NCAA Tournament bid entering Selection Sunday, it’s a momentous occasion for others such as Southern Miss. At 25-7, the Golden Eagles have won more games this season than they did in the last three seasons combined, and this marks a chance to continue a momentum-building season for the Sun Belt’s regular season champions.

For those wondering if North Carolina would play in the event after missing out on the NCAA Tournament, the program released a statement Sunday clarifying that it “has chosen not to participate in the NIT.” Even without the Tar Heels, the tournament still features some quality brands and star players.

Historically, the event’s semifinals and final were contested at Madison Square Garden, but the NCAA announced in January that Las Vegas would host those games this season with Indianapolis landing the event in 2024. Here is a look at the full bracket.

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2023 NIT key dates

First Round: March 14-15
Second round: March 18-19
Quarterfinals: March 21-22
Semifinals: March 28 (Orleans Arena in Las Vegas)
Championship: March 30 (Orleans Arena in Las Vegas)

All times Eastern

2023 NIT First Round schedule

Games in the first three rounds to be played at the higher-seeded team’s home arena

Upper Left Bracket
No. 1 Oklahoma State vs. Youngstown State | Wednesday, 7 p.m. 
No. 2 Sam Houston vs. Santa Clara | Wednesday, 9 p.m. 
No. 3 North Texas vs. Alcorn State | Wednesday, 8 p.m. 
No. 4 Washington State vs. Eastern Washington | Tuesday, 11 p.m.

Lower Left Bracket
No. 1 Oregon vs. UC Irvine | Wednesday, 11 p.m. 
No. 2 Liberty vs. Villanova | Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. 
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. Bradley | Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.
No. 4 Florida vs. UCF | Wednesday, 7 p.m.  

Upper Right Bracket
No. 1 Rutgers vs. Hofstra | Tuesday, 7 p.m. 
No. 2 Colorado vs. Seton Hall | Tuesday, 11 p.m. 
No. 3 New Mexico vs. Utah Valley | Wednesday, 10 p.m.
No. 4 Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech | Wednesday, 9 p.m. 

Lower Right Bracket
No. 1 Clemson vs. Morehead State | Wednesday, 7 p.m. 
No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. Yale | Tuesday, 9 p.m.
No. 3 Michigan vs. Toledo |Tuesday, 7 p.m.
No. 4 UAB vs. Southern Miss | Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.