How to watch 2014 NIT 1st round online, TV schedule, radio and more

The NIT field is set and 32 teams are scheduled to do battle over the next couple of weeks for a shot at the NIT championship at Madison Square Garden. The first round of the fray opens up on Tuesday and finishes on Wednesday.

Because America loves playoffs, and only the Ivy League doesn’t believe in a postseason tournament, the NIT generally rewards those teams that played well enough throughout the regular season but fell in their conference tournament. Regular-season conference champions (and in the case of co-champions, the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament) that don’t make the NCAA Tournament are awarded automatic NIT berths. Teams like Belmont, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Florida Gulf Coast were the top teams in their respective conferences but missed out on the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The NIT looks out for those little guys.

It isn’t exactly the NCAA Tournament, but it is a nice consolation prize for the teams that want to keep playing in March. This year, there were a lot of those little guys -- 13 to be exact: Belmont, Boston, Davidson, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia State, Green Bay, High Point, Iona, Louisiana Tech, Robert Morris, UC Irvine, Utah Valley and Vermont.

Two of the bigger teams that missed the NCAA cut are Minnesota and Georgetown. The two teams should be reminded that the best way to counter the naysayers is to rub it in their face. That is exactly what Baylor did last year and Stanford the year before that, each turning the grudge of a snub into a solid postseason achievement. Minnesota enters the tournament with a No. 1 seed, along with SMU, Florida State and St. John’s.

There is quite a bit of action of basketball to be watched in the first round. Here are the television details. ESPN handles the load for the NIT. The radio broadcasts are on ESPN Radio and all games can be viewed online at WatchESPN.

Tuesday, March 18
NCAA Tip-off show, 6 p.m. ET, truTV
Robert Morris Colonials at St. John’s Red Storm, 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles at Florida State Seminoles, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
West Virginia Mountaineers at Georgetown Hoyas, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Belmont Bruins at Green Bay Phoenix, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN3
High Point Panthers at Minnesota Golden Gophers, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Indiana State Sycamores at Arkansas Razorbacks, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Georgia State Panthers at Clemson Tigers, 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Davidson Wildcats at Missouri Tigers, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Utah Utes at Saint Mary’s Gaels, 11 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Wednesday, March 19
NCAA Tip-off show, 6 p.m., truTV
Illinois Fighting Illini at Boston Terriers, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Iona Gaels at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3
Vermont Catamounts at Georgia Bulldogs, 8 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Toledo Rockets at Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3
UC Irvine Anteaters at SMU Mustangs, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
LSU Tigers at San Francisco Dons, 10 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Utah Valley Wolverines at California Golden Bears, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3