NIT schedule today: Everything to know about men's championship on April 4

The stage is set for the National Invitation Tournament final.

More commonly known as the NIT, the tournament will culminate when Indiana State takes on Seton Hall in the championship game Thursday night in the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, which is the home arena of the Butler Bulldogs.

The NIT has been in operation since 1938, which was actually one year before the inaugural NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The NIT final has been played every year since, with the exception of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which means the winner of this year's final will be the 83rd champion in NIT history, because three titles (Michigan, 1997; Minnesota, 1998; St. John's 2003) were vacated.

Here's what to know about the NIT championship game scheduled for Thursday.

How to watch and stream NIT championship game

The NIT championship game between Indiana State and Seton Hall will be televised on ESPN, while streaming options are available on ESPN+ and the Watch ESPN app. Tipoff is scheduled for Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET.

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How did Indiana State get to the NIT championship?

The Sycamores (32-6) were the regular season champions of the Missouri Valley Conference, but they missed out on an NCAA Tournament berth after losing to Drake in the conference finals. They claimed a top seed for the NIT before rolling off four wins against SMU (101-92), Minnesota (76-64), Cincinnati (85-81) and Utah (100-90). Sophomore center Robbie Avila drew national attention with his strong low-post skills and dark eye goggles that gave helped him earn the nickname "Cream Abdul-Jabbar." Avila leads Indiana State in scoring (17.5) and blocks (0.7), and is second on the team in rebounds (6.6) and assists (4.0). Junior guard Jayson Kent is second on the team in points per game (13.5) and leads the Sycamores in rebounding (8.1).

How did Seton Hall get to the NIT championship

The Pirates (24-12) placed fourth in the Big East during the regular season. Like Indiana State, Seton Hall captured one of the top seeds for the NIT. It went on to beat Saint Joseph's (75-72), North Texas (72-58), UNLV (91-68) and Georgia (84-67) to earn its first bid to the NIT championship game since 1953 when it won the title. Senior guards Kadary Richmond (15.6 points), Dre Davis (14.9 points) and Al-Amir Dawes (14.7 points) lead the Pirates' charge on offense. Richmond also ranks first on the team in assists (5.1) and steals (2.2), and is second on the team in rebounds (6.8).

Who declined an invite to the 2024 NIT?

After being snubbed by the NCAA selection committee for the Big Dance, a handful of teams followed North Carolina's example from last season and declined an invitation to the NIT.

The schools that have declined to play in the NIT: Indiana, Memphis, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, St. John's and Washington.