Though the focus of this time of year is almost exclusively on the Division I Men’s College Basketball Championship (the NCAA Tournament), there is an even older tournament that has been relegated to the role of hosting the teams that didn’t qualify for March Madness. The National Invitation Tournament (or NIT) was established back in 1938, the year before the NCAA Tournament began. It seems almost ironic that this year’s final was played on April 1st. It’s also ironic (and frankly, sad) that the winner of the tournament isn’t even posted on the official web site yet. Despite the fact that it was played at Madison Square Garden, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who knows who won. The 2004 winner? The University of Michigan, who topped Rutgers 62-55.
A bit of trivia. The NIT also hosts a preseason tournament and this year’s winner was none other than Georgia Tech, who finished as, you guessed it, runner-up to National Champion Connecticut by a score of 82-73.