NIT committee restructured

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Butler Director of Athletics Barry Collier and Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner Doug Elgin will begin four-year terms on the National Invitation Tournament Committee, it was announced Tuesday.

C.M. Newton, chair of the NIT Committee since its inception in 2006, will now serve as chair emeritus. Reggie Minton will serve as chair this season.

Starting with 2015-16, committee members will serve a maximum four-year term and it will feature a mix of current athletics administrators who are actively working at NCAA institutions or conferences and former head coaches.

The eight-member committee had been comprised of former head coaches or athletics directors. The previous structure had no term limits or succession plan.

The committee is responsible for the selection, seeding and bracketing of the 32-team postseason championship.

The 2016 NIT starts March 15 at campus sites. The semifinals and championship game are at New York’s Madison Square Garden, March 29 and 31.