2025 NIT Bracket

courtesy of gouvu.edu

OREM, Utah — After a historic season, which included a 15-1 record in Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play and a first-ever appearance in the WAC Tournament championship game, Utah Valley has earned an automatic bid to the 2025 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). 

The Wolverines (25-8) will travel to San Francisco to take on the Dons (24-9) in the first round on Wednesday, March 19, at 8 p.m. PT/9 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

This marks Utah Valley's third appearance in the NIT. In 2014, UVU fell at Cal in the first round, but in the team's last NIT appearance in 2023, the Wolverines made a historic run to the Final Four, securing wins over New Mexico, Colorado, and Cincinnati before narrowly losing in overtime to UAB in the semifinals.

The Wolverines and the Dons have met three times in history, with UVU holding a 1-2 record against San Francisco. UVU's lone victory came in 2007, when the Wolverines defeated the Dons 73-61 in Orem. The two teams last faced off in 2018 in the second round of the College Basketball Invitational, where UVU fell 78-73. UVU is 0-2 in games played at San Francisco.

San Francisco is making its second consecutive appearance in the NIT. The Dons finished the regular season with a 24-9 overall record and a 13-5 West Coast Conference mark, securing a third-place finish in the league. Under the guidance of third-year head coach Chris Gerlufsen, San Francisco reached the semifinals of the WCC Championship and will host its first-round game on campus for the first time in over a decade.

The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU. Fans can also tune into the radio broadcast on the Wolverine Sports Network and ESPN The Fan.

The winner of the Utah Valley-San Francisco matchup will face the winner of the San José State vs. Loyola Chicago game in the second round. The 2025 NIT will culminate with the semifinals and championship game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.