Auburn and Illinois State both won quarterfinal games on Wednesday to advance to the NIT semifinals and will face each other April 2 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Tigers and Redbirds join Tulsa and New Mexico as the final four teams in the 2026 NIT.
No. 4 seed Illinois State moved on with a 61-55 win over Dayton behind 16 points from Johnny Kinziger. Illinois State has defeated Kent State, Wake Forest and Dayton to reach the semifinals. No. 1 seed Auburn, the lone high-major team remaining in the field, defeated Nevada 75-69.
On Tuesday, No. 1 seed Tulsa advanced with an 83-79 win over Wichita State behind a standout performance from guard Tylen Riley. He finished with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win over the Shockers.
2026 March Madness live stream: NCAA Tournament TV schedule Sweet 16 games Thursday, watch streaming
Cameron Salerno
No. 1 seed New Mexico moved on to the semifinals after defeating Saint Joseph's 84-69 behind 27 points from Tomislav Bulijan.
Only four power conference teams are competing in the NIT this year: Auburn, Cal, Wake Forest and Oklahoma State. Multiple programs -- such as Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, Belmont and San Diego State -- declined an invitation to the NIT after missing out on the NCAA Tournament.
Here is a look at the full bracket.
2026 NIT schedule
All times Eastern
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, March 24
Wednesday, March 25
Semifinals
Thursday, April 2
Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis
- No. 1 Tulsa vs. No. 1 New Mexico, TBD | ESPN, fuboTV (try for free)
- No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 4 Illinois State | ESPN, fuboTV (try for free)
Championship
Sunday, April 5
Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis
- Semifinal winners | 8 p.m. | ESPN2, fuboTV (try for free)
Auburn Region
FIRST ROUND
No. 1 Auburn 78, South Alabama 67 | Recap
No. 2 Nevada 89, Murray State 75 | Recap
Liberty 77, No. 3 George Mason 71 | Recap
No. 4 Seattle U 67, St. Thomas (MN) 52 | Recap
SECOND ROUND
No. 1 Auburn 91, No. 4 Seattle U 85 | Recap
No. 2 Nevada 73, Liberty 63 | Recap
Albuquerque Region
FIRST ROUND
No. 1 New Mexico 107, Sam Houston 83 | Recap
No. 2 Cal 91, UIC 73 | Recap
No. 3 Colorado State vs. Saint Joseph's | Recap
George Washington 79, No. 4 Utah Valley 78 | Recap
SECOND ROUND
No. 1 New Mexico 86, George Washington 61 | Recap
Saint Joseph's 76, No. 2 Cal 75 | Recap
Winston-Salem Region
FIRST ROUND
No. 1 Wake Forest 82, Navy 72 | Recap
No. 2 Dayton 80, Bradley 66 | Recap
UNCW 68, No. 3 Yale 67 | Recap
No. 4 Illinois State vs. Kent State | Recap
SECOND ROUND
No. 4 Illinois State 78, No. 1 Wake Forest 75 | Recap
No. 2 Dayton 80, UNC-Wilmington 61 | Recap
Tulsa Region
FIRST ROUND
No. 1 Tulsa 89, Stephen F. Austin 84 (OT) | Recap
No. 2 Oklahoma State 84, Davidson 80 | Recap
No. 3 Wichita State 74, Wyoming 70 | Recap
UNLV 75, No. 4 UC Irvine 72 | Recap
SECOND ROUND
No. 1 Tulsa 77, UNLV 66 | Recap
No. 3 Wichita State 96, No. 2 Oklahoma State 70 | Recap
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