The storied National Invitation Tournament (NIT) will crown a new champion Thursday night, with UC Irvine meeting Chattanooga in the championship game.
In reaching the NIT championship, Chattanooga matched the longest postseason run in program history, tying the 1977 team that won the NCAA Division II championship. The Mocs are making SoCon history, too. No team from the SoCon has ever played into April in a postseason event.
UC Irvine marked its third consecutive postseason appearance with an automatic bid to the NIT, earning a No. 1 seed. The Anteaters have set a single-season program record with 32 wins, with four of those victories coming in the NIT. Previously, the school had won just two NIT games.
Now both programs eye their first NIT championship Thursday night.
The Sporting News has everything that you need to know about watching this year's NIT championship game, including start time for the postseason showdown.
What time is the NIT championship today?
- Date: Thursday, April 3
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
The 2025 NIT championship game will begin at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 3.
This year's finals are held in Indianapolis inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, the home of Butler basketball.
How to watch the NIT championship: TV channel, live stream
The NIT championship game airs live on ESPN with Mike Corey (play-by-play), Fran Fraschilla (analyst) and Ashley ShanAhmadi (reporter) on the call.
Viewers can stream the game live with Fubo, which offers a free trial, so you can try the service before you buy.
Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
The NIT championship game can also be streamed with ESPN+.
NIT schedule, scores 2025
Round 1: Tuesday, March 18
| Scores |
| Jacksonville State 81, Georgia Tech 64 |
| Kent State 75, St. Bonaventure 56 |
| Chattanooga 109, Middle Tennessee 103 (3 OT) |
| Oklahoma State 89, Wichita State 79 |
| Arkansas State 103, Saint Louis 78 |
| Santa Clara 101, UC Riverside 62 |
| Stanford 87, CSUN 70 |
Round 1: Wednesday, March 19
| Scores |
| Dayton 86, Florida Atlantic 79 |
| George Mason 86, Samford 69 |
| UAB 69, Saint Joseph's 65 |
| North Texas 75, Furman 64 |
| Bradley 71, North Alabama 62 |
| SMU 73, Northern Iowa 63 |
| UC Irvine 82, Northern Colorado 72 |
| San Francisco 79, Utah Valley 70 |
| Loyola Chicago 73, San Jose State 70 |
Round 2: Saturday, March 22
| Scores |
| Chattanooga 87, Dayton 72 |
| Bradley 75, George Mason 67 |
Round 2: Sunday, March 23
| Scores |
| Oklahoma State 85, SMU 83 |
| Loyola Chicago 77, San Francisco 76 |
| North Texas 65, Arkansas State 63 |
| Kent State 77, Stanford 75 |
| UAB 87, Santa Clara 84 |
| UC Irvine 66, Jacksonville State 65 |
Quarterfinals: Tuesday, March 25
| Scores |
| Chattanooga 67, Bradley 65 |
| North Texas 61, Oklahoma State 59 |
Quarterfinals: Wednesday, March 26
| Scores |
| Loyola Chicago 72, Kent State 62 |
| UC Irvine 81, UAB 77 (OT) |
Semifinals: Tuesday, April 1
| Scores |
| UC Irvine 69, North Texas 67 |
| Chattanooga 80, Loyola Chicago 73 |
Championship: Thursday, April 3
| Game | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
| UC Irvine vs. Chattanooga | 9 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN+ |
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