Who has declined NIT bid? Full list of teams to opt out of tournament

No NCAA Tournament means no more basketball for some college basketball teams.

It’s soul crushing to not be part of March Madness, but those that just missed out on making the bracket don’t have to see their seasons end with other postseason tournaments. The NIT is the most famous example, and there is also the College Basketball Crown.

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However, the disappointment of not being in the NCAA Tournament is now too much. College basketball has changed drastically with so much player and coach movement that there isn’t as much of a desire to keep playing if you don’t have a chance to win a national championship. The NIT used to be a solid second option, but several teams now opt-out of participating.

So who has declined the NIT so far? Here is every team deciding to end its season rather than play in college basketball’s invitational.

Teams to decline 2026 NIT tournament

List as of 3 p.m. ET Sunday, March 15

Teams to announce it is declining NIT

Belmont

The Missouri Valley Conference regular season champion was given an automatic spot in the NIT, but declined it on March 14. The Bruins finished 26-6 but coach Casey Alexander left and accepted the job at Kansas State.

Virginia Tech

The first team to announce it was not participating in the NIT was Virginia Tech. It made the decision on Friday, March 13 after it lost in the first round of the ACC tournament to finish the season 19-13.