NIT tournament bracket, scores: No. 1 seeds Auburn, Tulsa survive upset bids

The second spherical of the 2026 NIT started on Saturday with two video games on the slate. The theme of these video games noticed the higher-seeded group taking good care of enterprise to advance to subsequent week’s quarterfinals.

No. 2 seed Dayton defeated UNC Wilmington 80-61 to advance to the subsequent spherical behind 20 factors from guard De’Shayne Montgomery. The Flyers will face the winner of No. 1 seed Wake Forest and No. 4 seed Illinois State subsequent week.

In the Auburn Region, No. 2 seed Nevada defeated Liberty 73-63 behind 15 factors from Elijah Price.

Six extra video games will happen on Sunday, which can decide who joins Dayton and Nevada within the quarterfinals. Among the notable video games happening, No. 1 seed Auburn faces No. 4 seed Seattle U. After incomes the No. 1 total seed in final 12 months’s NCAA Tournament, the Tigers want to make a run within the first 12 months of Steven Pearl’s tenure.

Only 4 energy convention groups are competing within the NIT this 12 months: Auburn, Cal, Wake Forest and Oklahoma State. Multiple packages — corresponding to Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, Belmont and San Diego State — declined an invite to the NIT after lacking out on the NCAA Tournament. All 4 of these high-major groups are nonetheless in competition to win the NIT title.

Here is a have a look at the complete bracket.

2026 NIT key dates

First Round: March 17-18
Second spherical: March 21-22
Quarterfinals: March 24-25
Semifinals: April 2 (Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis)
championship: April 5 (Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis)

All instances Eastern

2026 NIT First Round schedule

Games within the first three rounds to be performed on the higher-seeded group’s residence area

Auburn Region

FIRST ROUND

No. 1 Auburn 78, South Alabama 67 | Recap
No. 2 Snowfall 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 vs. No. 4 Seattle U | Sunday, 6:30 p.m.
No. 2 Nevada 73, Liberty 63 | Recap

Quarterfinals

No. 2 Nevada vs. TBD | TBD

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 vs. George Washington | Sunday, 8 p.m.
No. 2 Cal vs. Saint Joseph’s | Sunday, 9 p.m.

Quarterfinals

TBD vs. TBD | TBD

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. 1 Wake Forest vs. No. 4 Illinois State | Sunday, 4:30 p.m.
No. 2 Dayton 80, UNC-Wilmington 61 | Recap

Quarterfinals

No. 2 Dayton vs. TBD | TBD

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 vs. UNLV | Sunday, 7 p.m.
No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 3 Wichita State | Sunday, 8:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals

TBD vs. TBD | TBD