INDIANANAPOLIS (WISH) — Thanks to the format of the National Invitation Tournament, the road to the NIT title could stay entirely inside Indiana.

Indiana State University and Butler University are both in the field this year. The Sycamores made a spirited run during the regular season, climbing into the Top 25, briefly, for the first time since 1979.

Late-season stumbles cost ISU a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but the consolation prize presents a huge opportunity: as a #1 seed in the NIT, if the Sycamores keep winning, they’ll never need to leave the state to win a title.

Under the NIT’s bracket scheduling strategy, the higher-seeded teams host games at their home courts, until the tournament reaches its semifinal round. At that point, a pre-scheduled site takes over the hosting chores.

This year, that site happens to be Hinkle Fieldhouse — the historic gym that serves as the Bulldogs’ Home court, less than 90 miles east on I-70.

That also means that Butler’s own road through the NIT will also be low-mileage, no matter which teams it faces.

If Butler makes a run and higher seeds hold, the Bulldogs would have to travel no farther than Terre Haute (ISU), Peoria (Bradley), or Cincinnati (UC).

If lower seeds stage some upsets, it could mean that Butler would never have to leave campus to win a national title.

This year’s NIT marks the tenth time the Bulldogs have been in the field, dating back to 1958.
Butler’s head coach knows the road to a title well; Thad Matta won the 2008 NIT title while leading the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Butler host Minnesota on Tuesday at 9 p.m. at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The 2024 NIT Tournament is the fifth for Indiana State. The first was in 1977; the Sycamores appeared most recently in 2014, losing in the first round.

The Sycamores host Southern Methodist at Hulman Center on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Indiana could have had three teams in the NIT. Indiana University looked to be a safe bet for the field, but the team declined the opportunity before the bids went out.