The National Commissioners Invitational Tournament was an eight-team postseason men's college basketball tournament run by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It was introduced in 1974 as the Collegiate Commissioners Association Tournament. Invitees were runner-up teams in major conferences. It was created because the NCAA wanted to "kill" the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), which, at that time, it did not control . It only lasted two years before being discontinued after changes to the NCAA tournament which allowed more than one team per conference to participate.

Summary

The tournament was won in 1974 by Indiana over Southern California, 85–60, in St. Louis, Missouri. The 1974 tournament featured a collection of teams that came in second in their conferences due to NCAA Tournament rules at the time which only invited conference champions.

In 1975, the NCAA tournament expanded to include at-large teams, from a total of 25 to 32 teams and began inviting more than one team from some conferences rather than solely conference champions. However, the 1975 tournament, renamed the National Commissioners Invitational Tournament, was still held and was won by Drake over Arizona, 83–76, in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Commissioners Invitational Tournament was discontinued after the 1975 tournament.

Drake's NCIT banner can be seen hanging (4th from left)

Championships

Year Champion Runner-up MVP Location
1974 Indiana85 Southern California60 Kent Benson, Indiana St. Louis, Missouri
1975 Drake83 Arizona76 Bob Elliott, Arizona Louisville, Kentucky

List of NCIT bids by school

This is a list of NCIT bids by school.

NCIT bidsSchoolLast bidLast winLast semifinalLast champ. gameLast championship
2 Southern California 1975 1974 1974 1974
2 Tennessee 1975
1 Drake 1975 1975 1975 1975 1975
1 Indiana 1974 1974 1974 1974 1974
1 Arizona 1975 1975 1975 1975
1 Bowling Green 1975 1975 1975
1 Purdue 1975 1975 1975
1 Bradley 1974 1974 1974
1 Toledo 1974 1974 1974
1 East Carolina 1975
1 Missouri 1975
1 Arizona State 1974
1 Kansas State 1974
1 SMU 1974

The Big 8, Big 10, MAC, Missouri Valley, Pac-8, SEC and WAC sent teams to both tournaments. The Southwest only was invited to the 1974 tournament while the Southern Conference was only invited to the 1975 tournament.

References

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