The 2024 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) bracket was revealed on Sunday night. Here is the full 32-team field and first round matchups for the 2024 NIT.
No. 1 Seton Hall vs. Saint Joseph's
No. 4 LSU vs. North Texas
No. 3 Providence vs. Boston College
No. 2 Princeton vs. UNLV
No. 1 Wake Forest vs. Appalachian State
No. 4 Georgia vs. Xavier
No. 3 Virginia Tech vs. Richmond
No. 2 Ohio State vs. Cornell
No. 1 Indiana State vs. SMU
No. 4 Butler vs. Minnesota
No. 3 Bradley vs. Loyola Chicago
No. 2 Cincinnati vs. San Francisco
No. 1 Villanova vs. VCU
No. 4 UCF vs. South Florida
No. 3 Iowa vs. Kansas State
No. 2 Utah vs. UC Irvine
First Round: March 19-20
Second Round: March 23-24
Quarterfinals: March 26-27
Semifinals: April 2
Championship: April 4
The first round, second round, and quarterfinal games will be held at campus sites. The NIT semifinals and championship game will be held at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
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Quick trivia question: Who was the first player that Notre Dame offered in the 2028 recruiting class? If you guessed Orange (Calif.) Lutheran defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou, then you are correct. He received his scholarship offer while camping in South Bend earlier this offseason. The Fighting Irish don’t often offer high school freshman, but seeing the talent that Fakatou brings to the table in person was too hard to pass up. Since then, Notre Dame has been trending strongly with the California star. They have become a team to know early on. In the recent rankings reveal for the 2028 recruiting class by 247 Sports, it’s exciting to see where Fakatou landed. He has the look of an elite prospect in the 2028 class right now, and one that the Irish staff will continue to push for. Fakatou is extremely well liked by the major recruiting services so far. In the latest 247 Sports ranking update, the California native currently sits as the No. 3 overall player, No. 1 defensive lineman, and No. 1 player in the state of California for the 2028 recruiting class. The 247 Sports Composite ranking has Fakatou rated as a five-star player right now. Even though Fakatou hasn’t entered his sophomore season yet, a long list of impressive programs has already been pursuing him. Some of his top offers include the Fighting Irish, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma, USC, Penn State, Miami, Auburn, Nebraska, SMU, BYU, Arizona State, Missouri, Utah, Washington, Colorado, Minnesota, Arizona, Syracuse, and Cal among others. Even as a freshman, Fakatou made a lot of plays for a very talented Orange Lutheran squad. The 6-6, 275-pound athlete managed to record 28 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and five sacks. He is expected to take a massive leap heading into the 2025 season. For a player his size, Fakatou has some uncommon movement skills. He plays on the edge for Orange Lutheran, but has the body type to eventually move inside long term. There is a lot of Leonard Williams in his game, having the overall combination of movement skills and size to play multiple alignments.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made a bunch of aggressive moves in the 2025 offseason. One of those moves was General Manager Omar Khan’s decision to trade away former All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to acquire tight end Jonnu Smith and cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Miami Dolphins. The Steelers clearly viewed Ramsey as a cornerstone piece to elevate their defense to an elite level in 2025. As training camp has come and gone, Ramsey has quickly reminded those in Latrobe, PA, just how dominant he can still be. Following a practice session, Ramsey sat down with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder for an episode of The Pivot podcast to share his early impressions of life in the Steel City. During the conversation, Ramsey spoke about the culture he has experienced since joining the Steelers, expressing admiration for the way the organization operates. He pointed to the smooth handling of TJ Watt’s contract negotiations as an example of how the Steelers take care of their own. "Probably so," Ramsey said on The Pivot podcast when asked if his career would have been different if the Steelers would have drafted him. "Yeah, 100 percent... If I would've started my career here, it probably would've been different. My focus may have been a little bit different at times. I may have been here my whole career. This is like a place where I feel like, one, they take care of they own. I truly believe that they take care of their own. Two, guys really want to be here." Ramsey explained that such mutual commitment between player and team is not common across the league, making Pittsburgh stand out. He also noted how much players genuinely want to be part of the organization, praising the coaching staff, fan base, and the team’s tradition of winning. To him, it is a football environment built for long-term success and player happiness. "I've heard them say it when they were going through TJ [Watt's] contract, I was watching Mike [Tomlin's] interviews," Ramsey said. "He's like, 'Both sides want to get it done, so it's gonna get done. That's not always the case where you at everywhere. But here, it is like, 'I want to be here. Let's figure it out. Let's do it the right way!' They handle business the right way. Fans are amazing here. Coaching staff is amazing here. They're always winning here. It's not much to not be happy about if you truly love football." Ramsey went further by admitting that if he had been drafted by the Steelers earlier in his career, things might have turned out much differently. He suggested that his mindset and focus could have been even sharper and that he might have spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. Steelers' Jalen Ramsey Really Loving His Time In Pittsburgh For Ramsey, the Steelers represent the kind of stability, respect, and winning culture that players strive for. His comments not only highlight his high regard for the organization, but also serve as a reminder of the unique culture that has made Pittsburgh one of the most respected franchises in the NFL. Ramsey was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He arrives in Pittsburgh at the age of 30, aiming to help the team build the best defense in the league. His career has included stops in Jacksonville, with the Los Angeles Rams where he won a Super Bowl, and with the Dolphins. Now he is enjoying his time in the Steel City. Do you believe Ramsey's career would have been a lot different had Pittsburgh originally drafted him in that 2016 NFL Draft?
The Washington Commanders are currently dealing with some wide receiver issues heading into the season. An NFL analyst poured more fuel on the fire by proclaiming that Adam Peters will regret a huge call earlier this offseason. Terry McLaurin is not practicing and hasn't for months as his contract battle with the Commanders goes on. Others lower down the depth chart are coming in for increasing criticism, which leaves general manager Adam Peters with a potential problem on his hands if they cannot turn the tide before Week 1. The Commanders' wideout regeneration began by letting Dyami Brown walk in free agency. Although the former third-round pick displayed much-improved performances down the stretch and into the playoffs, it wasn't enough for Peters to give him an extended stay. NFL analyst believes Commanders could regret letting Dyami Brown walk Brown ended up signing a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars that includes $9.5 million guaranteed. He's made his presence felt over the summer, drawing praise from quarterback Trevor Lawrence and head coach Liam Coen. This is the time of year he always flourished in Washington, but putting it together in a competitive setting was far more challenging. That didn't stop Brock Vereen of CBS Sports from labeling Brown as a sleeping giant ready to take over in 2025. The analyst thought his stock was low right now, but the Commanders could be kicking themselves for letting him go when it's all said and done. Stock right now is low on him because, 'Oh, Washington got rid of him. They replaced him with Deebo Samuel. He only landed a one-year deal.' This is a sleeping giant. Liam Coen knew exactly what he was doing. Dyami Brown is a versatile weapon. He can take handoffs, he can catch the ball, he can line up anywhere on the field. He even has pass attempts over his career. He can do everything and will be probably the most forgotten offensive weapon coming off of the Travis Hunter hype.Brock Vereen via SI Brown always flattered to deceive in Washington. He had every physical tool imaginable to be successful, but consistency never got close to the required standard. Peters takes sentiment out of every equation. The front-office leader didn't think the North Carolina product was worth what Jacksonville was willing to pay. And he pivoted accordingly. There probably won't be much regret around Brown's departure, regardless of whether he performs well with the Jaguars or not. He had countless chances to establish himself as a long-term option and almost always failed to deliver. If he'd done so, the Commanders would have rewarded him with a new deal. That wasn't the case. And there are still more questions than answers around Brown despite his promising start in the Florida sunshine. More Commanders news and analysis
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes may continue to be one of the top contenders for the National League Cy Young Award, but there is one place where he has appeared mortal this season. On Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers did to Skenes what they have done to plenty of MLB pitchers in 2025 ... put up big offensive numbers. For the second time this season (Skenes also pitched in Milwaukee on June 25), the Brewers forced him from the game after just 4.0 innings on Tuesday night, logging six hits and four runs during his time on the mound. Both of those performances came at Milwaukee's home stadium (American Family Field) and both are now Skenes' shortest outings of the season. While another NL Central team has put up more runs against Skenes this season (the St. Louis Cardinals nicked him for five runs in 6.0 innings on April 8), no other team has had the same kind of success over multiple starts by Skenes in 2025 as have the Brewers inside their home stadium. In all this season, Skenes has given up 10 hits and eight runs in 8.0 innings in Milwaukee. It was his third career outing on the road against the Brewers, with his lone 2024 start representing arguably the best outing of his rookie season. On July 11, 2024, Skenes struck out 11 and didn't allow a hit over 7.0 innings as the Pirates would eventually post a 1-0 victory. Tuesday's short outing was highlighted by a pair of Milwaukee home runs, including a leadoff solo shot by Sal Frelick that quickly set the tone for the Brewers. While Milwaukee's hit parade helped raise Skenes' ERA on the season to 2.13, it's hardly any reason for concern in a season where the 23-year-old right-hander is still a heavy favorite (-600) to win the NL Cy Young Award, per BetMGM. Skenes struggling in Milwaukee is likely more yet another stamp of approval on the Brewers' potential to be a threat once the postseason arrives. With an 18-4 record since the All-Star break entering Tuesday, Milwaukee has taken over the NL Central race from the Chicago Cubs. So what's the good news for Skenes? This is Pittsburgh's last trip to Milwaukee this season and the next-to-last series for the Pirates against the red-hot Brewers. Milwaukee will visit PNC Park for a three-game series on Sept. 5-7, and if Skenes gets a chance for revenge against Milwaukee, there couldn't be a better place for him to take the mound. This season, in 11 starts covering 68.2 innings, Skenes has a 1.70 ERA in the Steel City.
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