Editor’s note: To find out who will win the 2026 NCAA Tournament, check out our March Madness expert picks and predictions.
No NCAA Tournament means no basketball for some college basketball teams.
While missing out on March Madness is devastating, players who miss out on spots don’t have to watch their seasons end in other postseason tournaments. The NIT is the most famous example, and there’s also the College Basketball Crown.
However, the regret of not being able to participate in the NCAA Tournament is too great now. College basketball has changed so dramatically with so many changes in players and coaches that there isn’t as much desire to continue playing without a chance to win a national championship. The NIT used to be the likely second choice, but now several teams have declined to participate.
So who has declined the NIT so far? Here are each team deciding to end the season without playing in a college basketball invitational.
Teams that will decline participation in the 2026 NIT Tournament
Listings as of Sunday, March 15th at 10pm ET
- belmont
- Virginia Tech
- san diego state
- seton hall
- Indiana
- florida
- oklahoma
Team announces NIT reduction
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech was the first team to announce that it would not be participating in the NIT. The team made this decision on Friday, March 13, after losing in the first round of the ACC Tournament and finishing the season with a 19-13 record.
belmont
The Missouri Valley Conference regular season champions were given an automatic berth to the NIT, but declined on March 14th. The Bruins finished 26-6, but coach Casey Alexander resigned and accepted a position at Kansas State University.
san diego state
The Mountain West runner-up declined to participate in other tournaments after missing March Madness for the first time since 2019.
“We do not believe it would be beneficial for us to compete in another postseason event,” manager Brian Dutcher said in a statement.
seton hall
The Pirates have decided to withdraw from all non-NCAA tournaments, including the NIT and Crown.
Indiana
IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported that the Hoosiers will not participate in the postseason secondary. Indiana was one of the first four teams to miss the field.
florida
The Seminoles are coming off a strong season, but will not accept an NIT bid, according to the USA TODAY Network’s Tallahassee Democrat.
oklahoma
The Sooners qualified for the NIT because they were the first team eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, but they were not in the NIT field.
