Xavier, Memphis, Virginia Tech And Iowa State Head 2021 Preseason NIT Field

BROOKLYN – The NIT Season Tip-Off will return to Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday, November 24 and Friday, November 26. The Xavier Musketeers will be a part of this year's field along with the Iowa State Cyclones (Big 12), Memphis Tigers (AAC) and Virginia Tech Hokies (ACC). XU previously played in the NIT preseason event in 2002 and 1988, although both years their games were not played in New York.

Xavier returns its top seven scorers from last season, including second-team All-BIG EAST selections Paul Scruggs and Zach Freemantle, All-BIG EAST Freshman Team selection Colby Jones and one of the nation's top 3-point shooters last season, Nate Johnson. Head coach Travis Steele leads a Xavier program that has made it to at least the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 six times in the last 13 tournaments. XU has been a part of 16 of the last 20 NCAA Tournament fields.

Let's take a quick look at the other three teams in the field. Head coach Penny Hardaway led his alma mater Memphis to the 2021 NIT Championship and his third consecutive 20-win season. Hardaway was a 14-year NBA veteran, four-time All-Star and spent two seasons with the New York Knicks. Virginia Tech comes off an NCAA Tournament berth, their fourth consecutive tournament appearance (2017-19, 2021). Head coach Mike Young will lead a team ranked No. 10 in in ESPN's latest "Way Too Early Top 25" with his top-four scorers returning. In his first year, Head Coach T.J. Otzelberger will lead Iowa State, who made the NCAA Tournament both in 2019 and for six consecutive years from 2012-17.

The tournament bracket and schedule will be announced this summer. Tickets are not yet on sale, but fans can secure first access to the best seats and discount offers by signing-up for the official pre-sale at NIT Season Tip-Off.

The NIT Season Tip-Off has been played in New York City since 1985 and this fall marks the sixth year the tournament will be held at Barclays Center. The 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19 and in 2019, Oklahoma State was crowned champion.

ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

NIT PREVIEW VIDEO

Schedule

Upcoming Events