The 2006 National Invitation Tournament was the first time the tournament was planned and operated by the NCAA, taking over after 68 years under the auspices of the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA). The 2006 NIT also saw changes made to the selection process as well as being the first time the NIT seeded the participants.[1] The South Carolina Gamecocks won their second straight NIT title.
Below are lists of the team selected for the tournament. The teams were given seeds for the first time ever.[2]
Below are the four brackets of the tournament, along with the bracket of the four-team championship round.[2] Also the highest remaining seeds hosted the games.
| Opening Round
| | | First Round
| | | Second Round
| | | Quarterfinals
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9
| Manhattan
| 80
| | | | |
|
| 10
| Fairleigh Dickinson
| 77
| |
| | 1
| Maryland
| 84
| |
|
| |
| | | 9
| Manhattan
| 87
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 9
| Manhattan
| 66
| |
|
| |
| | | 5
| Old Dominion
| 70
| |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | 4
| Colorado
| 61
| |
|
| |
| | | 5
| Old Dominion
| 79
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 5
| Old Dominion
| 61
| |
|
| |
| | | 3
| Hofstra
| 51
| |
| 7
| Penn State
| 71
| | | |
| |
| 8
| Rutgers
| 76
| |
| | 2
| Saint Joseph's
| 71
| |
|
| |
| | | 8
| Rutgers
| 62
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 2
| Saint Joseph's
| 75
| |
|
| |
| | | 3
| Hofstra
| 77
| |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | 3
| Hofstra
| 73
| |
|
| |
| | | 6
| Nebraska
| 62
| |
| Opening Round
| | | First Round
| | | Second Round
| | | Quarterfinals
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9
| UTEP
| 85
| | | | |
|
| 10
| Lipscomb
| 66
| |
| | 1
| Michigan
| 82
| |
|
| |
| | | 9
| UTEP
| 67
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 1
| Michigan
| 87
| |
|
| |
| | | 5
| Notre Dame
| 84
| |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | 4
| Vanderbilt
| 69
| |
|
| |
| | | 5
| Notre Dame
| 79
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 1
| Michigan
| 71
| |
|
| |
| | | 3
| Miami (FL)
| 65
| |
| 7
| Temple
| 73
| | | |
| |
| 8
| Akron
| 80
| |
| | 2
| Creighton
| 71
| |
|
| |
| | | 8
| Akron
| 60
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 2
| Creighton
| 52
| |
|
| |
| | | 3
| Miami (FL)
| 53
| |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | 3
| Miami (FL)
| 62
| |
|
| |
| | | 6
| Oklahoma State
| 59
| |
| Opening Round
| | | First Round
| | | Second Round
| | | Quarterfinals
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9
| Northern Arizona
| 53
| | | | |
|
| 10
| Delaware State
| 58
| |
| | 1
| Louisville
| 71
| |
|
| |
| | | 10
| Delaware State
| 54
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 1
| Louisville
| 74
| |
|
| |
| | | 4
| Clemson
| 68
| |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | 4
| Clemson
| 69
| |
|
| |
| | | 5
| Louisiana Tech
| 53
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 1
| Louisville
| 74
| |
|
| |
| | | 2
| Missouri State
| 56
| |
| 7
| Stanford
| 65
| | | |
| |
| 8
| Virginia
| 49
| |
| | 2
| Missouri State
| 76
| |
|
| |
| | | 7
| Stanford
| 67
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 2
| Missouri State
| 60
| |
|
| |
| | | 3
| Houston
| 59
| |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | 3
| Houston
| 77
| |
|
| |
| | | 6
| BYU
| 67
| |
| Opening Round
| | | First Round
| | | Second Round
| | | Quarterfinal
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9
| Charlotte
| 77
| | | | |
|
| 10
| Georgia Southern
| 61
| |
| | 1
| Cincinnati
| 86
| |
|
| |
| | | 9
| Charlotte
| 80
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 1
| Cincinnati
| 76
| |
|
| |
| | | 4
| Minnesota
| 62
| |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | 4
| Minnesota
| 73
| |
|
| |
| | | 5
| Wake Forest
| 58
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 1
| Cincinnati
| 62
| |
|
| |
| | | 3
| South Carolina
| 65
| |
| 7
| Miami (OH)
| 52
| | | |
| |
| 8
| Butler
| 53
| |
| | 2
| Florida State
| 67
| |
|
| |
| | | 8
| Butler
| 63
| |
| | |
| |
| | |
| | 2
| Florida State
| 68
| |
|
| |
| | | 3
| South Carolina
| 69
| |
| | | |
| |
| | |
| | 3
| South Carolina
| 74
| |
|
| |
| | | 6
| Western Kentucky
| 55
| |
| Semifinals
| | | Finals
| |
| | | | | | | | | |
| 5
| Old Dominion
| 43
| | |
|
| 1
| Michigan
| 66
| |
| | 1
| Michigan
| 64
| |
|
| |
| | | 3
| South Carolina
| 76
| |
| 1
| Louisville
| 63
| |
| |
| 3
| South Carolina
| 78
| |