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The NIT is down to four teams, and for the first time in college basketball history, the tournament’s final act will share the stage with every other men’s division in a single city.
As Indianapolis prepares to crown champions for Divisions I, II, and III, the NIT semifinals move to the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Thursday, before Sunday’s championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The bracket has narrowed to a mix of high-major power and mid-major resilience in the semifinal matchups. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane reached their first semifinal since 2015 after a gritty quarterfinal win over rival Wichita State, while the New Mexico Lobos have been untouchable, winning all three of their tournament games by double digits. New Mexico, led by freshman standout Tomislav Buljan, is aiming to continue a dominant run that has it positioned as the favorite heading into the matchup.
The nightcap features the top seed Auburn taking on the tournament's biggest Cinderella, Illinois State. The Redbirds are making their first semifinal appearance in program history and currently hold the longest active postseason winning streak in the NCAA at six games. They face a massive test in Steven Pearl’s Tigers, who advanced behind an 18-point performance from freshman Filip Jovic in the quarterfinals and are hungry for the program's first NIT title.
Here's everything you need to know for the NIT semifinals, from the schedule to streaming information.
NIT games on TV today
Thursday, April 2
| Game | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
| Tulsa vs. New Mexico | 7 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN app, Fubo |
| Auburn vs. Illinois State | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN app, Fubo |
The NIT shifts to Indianapolis this week as the final four teams converge on the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. The winners of Thursday night's doubleheader will advance to the national championship game on Sunday, April 5, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Where to watch NIT semifinals
Both semifinal games will air on ESPN on Thursday night, and Sunday's championship game will be on ESPN2. All the games can be streamed on the ESPN app and Fubo.
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NIT bracket 2026
The bracket for the NIT semifinals lines up like this:
- New Mexico vs. Tulsa
- Illinois State vs. Auburn
NIT schedule, scores 2026
Round 1: Tuesday, March 17
| Liberty 77, George Mason 71 |
| UNCW 68, Yale 67 |
| Wichita State 74, Wyoming 70 |
| Oklahoma State 84, Davidson 80 |
| Tulsa 89, Stephen F. Austin 84 (OT) |
| Seattle U 67, St. Thomas (Minn.) 52 |
| Auburn 78, South Alabama 67 |
| UNLV 75, UC Irvine 72 |
Round 1: Wednesday, March 18
| Wake Forest 82, Navy 72 |
| Illinois State 79, Kent State 58 |
| George Washington 79, Utah Valley 78 |
| Dayton 80, Bradley 66 |
| New Mexico 107, Sam Houston 83 |
| Nevada 89, Murray State 75 |
| Saint Joseph's 69, Colorado State 64 |
| California 91, UIC 73 |
Round 2: Saturday, March 21
| Dayton 80, UNCW 61 |
| Nevada 73, Liberty 63 |
Round 2: Sunday, March 22
| Illinois State 78, Wake Forest 75 |
| Auburn 91, Seattle U 85 |
| Tulsa 77, UNLV 66 |
| New Mexico 86, George Washington 61 |
| Wichita State 96, Oklahoma State 70 |
| Saint Joseph's 76, California 75 |
Quarterfinals: Tuesday, March 24
| Tulsa 83, Wichita State 79 |
| New Mexico 84, Saint Joseph's 69 |
Quarterfinals: Wednesday, March 25
| Illinois State 61, Dayton 55 |
| Auburn 75, Nevada 69 |
Semifinals: Thursday, April 2
| Tulsa vs. New Mexico | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN app, Fubo |
| Auburn vs. Illinois State | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN app, Fubo |
Championship: Sunday, April 5
| TBD vs. TBD | 8 p.m. | ESPN2, ESPN app, Fubo |
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