2006 National Invitation Tournament

Although it had been a common practice for the NIT to invite conference regular-season champions who failed to secure NCAA bids, beginning in 2006 it became an official policy. The mid-majors flexed their muscle in the 2006 NIT, with two of those automatic bids winning games, five mid-majors reaching the final 16, and Old Dominion knocking off Hofstra to reach the semifinals. In the end, however, it was South Carolina for the second year in a row hoisting the trophy in New York -- having knocked off three regional #1 seeds in succession.

Automatic Bids

The following teams received automatic bids to the NIT as a result of winning their conference's regular season championship but not receiving an invitation to the NCAA Tournament:

• Delaware State (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
• Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast Conference)
• Georgia Southern (Southern Conference)
• Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun Conference)
• Manhattan (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
• Northern Arizona (Big Sky Conference)
• Western Kentucky (Sun Belt Conference)

Opening Rounds

All games at higher seed except:

• Cincinnati R1: (7) Miami (OH) at (8) Butler
• Michigan QF: (4) Vanderbilt at (5) Notre Dame

Maryland Bracket

	First Round						Quarterfinal						Semifinal						Final
							Mar 16	8	Rutgers	62
	Mar 14	8	Rutgers	76				2	Saint Joseph's (PA)	71
													Mar 20	2	Saint Joseph's (PA)	75	OT
		7	Penn State	71
														3	Hofstra	77
							Mar 16	6	Nebraska	62
								3	Hofstra	73
																			Mar 22	3	Hofstra	51
																				5	Old Dominion	61
							Mar 15	5	Old Dominion	79
								4	Colorado	61
													Mar 20	5	Old Dominion	70
	Mar 14	10	Fairleigh Dickinson
														9	Manhattan	66
		9	Manhattan	80			Mar 18	9	Manhattan	87
								1	Maryland	84

Michigan Bracket

	First Round						Quarterfinals						Semifinals						Final
							Mar 16	8	Akron	60
	Mar 14	8	Akron	80				2	Creighton	71
													Mar 20	2	Creighton	52
		7	Temple	73
														3	Miami (FL)	53
							Mar 15	6	Oklahoma State	59
								3	Miami (FL)	62
																			Mar 22	3	Miami (FL)	65
																				1	Michigan	71
							Mar 15	5	Notre Dame	79
								4	Vanderbilt	69
													Mar 20	5	Notre Dame	84
	Mar 14	10	Lipscomb	66
														1	Michigan	87
		9	Texas-El Paso	85			Mar 16	9	Texas-El Paso	67
								1	Michigan	82

Louisville Bracket

	First Round						Quarterfinals						Semifinals						Final
							Mar 17	7	Stanford	67
	Mar 14	8	Virginia	49				2	Missouri State	76
													Mar 20	2	Missouri State	60
		7	Stanford	65
														3	Houston	59
							Mar 15	6	Brigham Young	67
								3	Houston	77
																			Mar 22	2	Missouri State	56
																				1	Louisville	74
							Mar 15	5	Louisiana Tech	53
								4	Clemson	69
													Mar 20	4	Clemson	68
	Mar 14	10	Delaware State	58
														1	Louisville	74
		9	Northern Arizona	53			Mar 17	10	Delaware State	54
								1	Louisville	71

Cincinnati Bracket

	First Round						Quarterfinals						Semifinals						Final
							Mar 17	8	Butler	63
	Mar 14	7	Miami (OH)	52				2	Florida State	67
													Mar 21	2	Florida State	68
		8	Butler	53
														3	South Carolina	69
							Mar 15	6	Western Kentucky	55
								3	South Carolina	74
																			Mar 23	3	South Carolina	65
																				1	Cincinnati	62
							Mar 15	5	Wake Forest	58
								4	Minnesota	73
													Mar 21	4	Minnesota	62
	Mar 14	10	Georgia Southern	61
														1	Cincinnati	76
		9	UNC-Charlotte	77			Mar 17	9	UNC-Charlotte	80
								1	Cincinnati	86

Semifinals and Finals

Madison Square Garden, New York City NY

Semifinals & Finals

	Semifinals, March 28				Finals, March 30
	Old Dominion	43
	Michigan	66
					Michigan	64
					South Carolina	76
	Louisville	63
	South Carolina	78

Most Valuable Player: Renaldo Balkman, South Carolina

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