Cal Hosts Illinois-Chicago in First-Round NIT Game

Cal did not get into the NCAA tournament, but the Bears got an invitation to the 32-team National Invitation Tournament and will play a first-round game at home on Wednesday.

The Bears (21-11) will face Illinois-Chicago (UIC) in its opening game at Haas Pavilion in a March 18 game that will start at 8 p.m. Pacific time and will be televised on ESPN2. UIC has a 19-15 record and finished with a 12-8 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play.

That is Cal's first postseason appearance since 2017.

Cal is the No. 2 seed in the ight-team Albuquerque Regional, and if the Bears win their opener they would play a second-round game on either March 21 or 22 against the winner of a first-round game between Saint Joseph's and third-seeded Colorado State. Cal would likely host that game as well, and it is likely to be played on Sunday, March 22.

Quarterfinal games will be played March 24 and 25 at home sites, with the four regional winners advancing to the April 2 semifinals at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The NIT championship game will be played on April 5 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.