The National Invitation Tournament has been held every year since 1938 and the championship game is held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The NIT Tournament had been operated by the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association until the NCAA bought the rights in 2005.
| 2023-24 |
Seton Hall Pirates 79-77 Indiana State Sycamores |
| 2022-23 |
North Texas Mean Green 68-61 UAB Blazers |
| 2021-22 |
Xavier Musketeers 73-72 Texas A&M Aggies |
| 2020-21 |
Memphis Tigers 77-64 Mississippi State Bulldogs |
| 2019-20 |
| CANCELLED
Cancelled due to COVID19 |
| 2018-19 |
Texas Longhorns 81-66 Lipscomb Bisons |
| 2017-18 |
Penn State Nittany Lions 82-66 Utah Utes |
| 2016-17 |
TCU Horned Frogs 88-56 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets |
| 2015-16 |
George Washington Colonials 76-60 Valparaiso Crusaders |
| 2014-15 |
Stanford Cardinal 66-64 (OT) Miami Hurricanes |
| 2013-14 |
Minnesota Gophers 65-63 SMU Mustangs |
| 2012-13 |
Baylor Bears 74-54 Iowa Hawkeyes |
| 2011-12 |
| Stanford Cardinal 75-51 Minnesota Gophers |
| 2010-11 |
Wichita State Shockers 66-57 Alabama Crimson Tide |
| 2009-10 |
Dayton Flyers 79-68 North Carolina Tar Heels |
| 2008-09 |
| Penn State Nittany Lions 69-63 Baylor Bears |
| 2007-08 |
Ohio State Buckeyes 92-85 Massachusetts Minutemen |
| 2006-07 |
West Virginia Mountaineers 78-73 Clemson Tigers |
| 2005-06 |
South Carolina Gamecocks 76-64 Michigan Wolverines |
| 2004-05 |
| South Carolina Gamecocks 60-57 St Joseph's Hawks |
| 2003-04 |
Michigan Wolverines 62-55 Rutgers Scarlet Knights |
| 2002-03 |
St John's Red Storm (vacated) 70-67 Georgetown Hoyas |
| 2001-02 |
| Memphis Tigers 72-62 South Carolina Gamecocks |
| 2000-01 |
Tulsa Golden Hurricane 79-66 Alabama Crimson Tide |
| 1999-00 |
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 71-61 Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
| 1998-99 |
California Golden Bears 61-60 Clemson Tigers |
| 1997-98 |
| Minnesota Gophers (vacated) 79-72 Penn State Nittany Lions |
| 1996-97 |
| Michigan Wolverines (vacated) 82-73 Florida State Seminoles |
| 1995-96 |
Nebraska Cornhuskers 60-56 St Joseph's Hawks |
| 1994-95 |
Virginia Tech Hokies 65-64 (OT) Marquette Golden Eagles |
| 1993-94 |
Villanova Wildcats 80-73 Vanderbilt Commodores |
| 1992-93 |
| Minnesota Gophers 62-61 Georgetown Hoyas |
| 1991-92 |
Virginia Cavaliers 81-76 Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
| 1990-91 |
| Stanford Cardinal 78-72 Oklahoma Sooners |
| 1989-90 |
Vanderbilt Commodores 74-72 Saint Louis Billikens |
| 1988-89 |
| St John's Redmen 73-65 Saint Louis Billikens |
| 1987-88 |
Connecticut Huskies 72-67 Ohio State Buckeyes |
| 1986-87 |
Southern Miss Golden Eagles 84-80 La Salle Explorers |
| 1985-86 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes 73-63 Wyoming Cowboys |
| 1984-85 |
UCLA Bruins 65-62 Indiana Hoosiers |
| 1983-84 |
| Michigan Wolverines 83-63 Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
| 1982-83 |
Fresno State Bulldogs 69-60 DePaul Blue Demons |
| 1981-82 |
Bradley Braves 67-58 Purdue Boilermakers |
| 1980-81 |
| Tulsa Golden Hurricane 86-84 (OT) Syracuse Orangemen |
| 1979-80 |
| Virginia Cavaliers 58-55 Minnesota Gophers |
| 1978-79 |
Indiana Hoosiers 53-52 Purdue Boilermakers |
| 1977-78 |
| Texas Longhorns 101-93 North Carolina State Wolfpack |
| 1976-77 |
St Bonaventure Bonnies 94-91 Houston Cougars |
| 1975-76 |
Kentucky Wildcats 71-67 Charlotte 49ers |
| 1974-75 |
Princeton Tigers 80-69 Providence Friars |
| 1973-74 |
Purdue Boilermakers 87-81 Utah Utes |
| 1972-73 |
| Virginia Tech Hokies 92-91 (OT) Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
| 1971-72 |
Maryland Terrapins 100-69 Niagara Purple Eagles |
| 1970-71 |
North Carolina Tar Heels 84-66 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets |
| 1969-70 |
Marquette Warriors 65-53 St John's Redmen |
| 1968-69 |
Temple Owls 89-76 Boston College Eagles |
| 1967-68 |
| Dayton Flyers 61-48 Kansas Jayhawks |
| 1966-67 |
Southern Illinois Salukis 71-56 Marquette Warriors |
| 1965-66 |
BYU Cougars 97-84 NYU Violets |
| 1964-65 |
| St John's Redmen 55-51 Villanova Wildcats |
| Year | Winner | Runner Up | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-64 | Bradley Braves | New Mexico Lobos | 86-54 |
| 1962-63 | Providence Friars | Canisius Golden Griffins | 81-66 |
| 1961-62 | Dayton Flyers | St John's Redmen | 73-67 |
| 1960-61 | Providence Friars | Saint Louis Billikens | 62-59 |
| 1959-60 | Bradley Braves | Providence Friars | 88-72 |
| 1958-59 | St John's Redmen | Bradley Braves | 76-71 (OT) |
| 1957-58 | Xavier Musketeers | Dayton Flyers | 78-74 (OT) |
| 1956-57 | Bradley Braves | Memphis State Tigers | 84-83 |
| 1955-56 | Louisville Cardinals | Dayton Flyers | 93-80 |
| 1954-55 | Duquesne Dukes | Dayton Flyers | 70-58 |
| 1953-54 | Holy Cross Crusaders | Duquesne Dukes | 71-62 |
| 1952-53 | Seton Hall Pirates | St John's Redmen | 58-46 |
| 1951-52 | La Salle Explorers | Dayton Flyers | 75-64 |
| 1950-51 | BYU Cougars | Dayton Flyers | 62-43 |
| 1949-50 | CCNY Beavers | Bradley Braves | 69-61 |
| 1948-49 | San Francisco Dons | Loyola Ramblers | 48-47 |
| 1947-48 | Saint Louis Billikens | NYU Violets | 65-52 |
| 1946-47 | Utah Utes | Kentucky Wildcats | 49-45 |
| 1945-46 | Kentucky Wildcats | Rhode Island Rams | 46-45 |
| 1944-45 | DePaul Blue Demons | Bowling Green Falcons | 71-54 |
| 1943-44 | St John's Redmen | DePaul Blue Demons | 47-39 |
| 1942-43 | St John's Redmen | Toledo Rockets | 48-27 |
| 1941-42 | West Virginia Mountaineers | Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | 47-45 |
| 1940-41 | Long Island Blackbirds | Ohio Bobcats | 56-42 |
| 1939-40 | Colorado Buffaloes | Duquesne Dukes | 51-40 |
| 1938-39 | Long Island Blackbirds | Loyola Ramblers | 44-32 |
| 1937-38 | Temple Owls | Colorado Buffaloes | 60-36 |