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Yale Coach James Jones will lead his team into the NIT when the Bulldogs play host to UNC-Wilmington on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. (Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Yale men's basketball team earned its third berth to the NIT on Sunday.
The Bulldogs, who lost 88-84 to Penn in overtime of the Ivy League tournament championship earlier in the day on Sunday in Ithaca, N.Y., will play host to North Carolina-Wimington on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (ESPN-plus).
Yale (24-6), seeded third in its region, secured its berth to the 32-team field by winning the regular season championship for the Ivy League.
The winner of Tuesday's game will advance to play the winner of Wednesday's game between second-seeded Dayton (23-11) and Bradley (21-12).
UNC-Wilmington (26-6) won the Coastal Athletic Association's regular season title. The Seahawks were upset by No. 9 seeded Campbell in the CAA quarterfinals.
Both Yale and UNC-Wilmington competed in the NCAA Tournament last season.
UNC-Wilmington and Yale share four common opponents in Howard, Stony Brook, the College of Charleston and Navy this year. Yale won 87-81 in OT at Howard. The Seahawks lost 67-66 at home to Howard. Yale defeated Stony Brook 86-79 in New Haven while UNCW won 75-71 at Stony Brook. UNCW split with Charleston (76-64 win on the road, 79-76 loss at home) and the Bulldogs defeated Charleston 74-63 in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas. Yale defeated Navy 97-68 in its opener in Annapolis, while UNCW beat the Midshipmen 87-57 in Wilmington.
Potential quarterfinal opponents for Yale and UNCW are top-seeded Wake Forest, Navy, Illinois State and Kent State.
Yale's last appearance in the NIT came in 2023 when it lost 71-62 at Vanderbilt.
The Bulldogs other berth to the NIT came in 2002 following a three-way tie with Penn in Princeton for the Ivy title. Yale won 67-65 in its NIT opener that year at Rutgers before falling to Tennessee Tech 81-60 at the New Haven Coliseum.
UNC-Wilmington, which competed in last year's NCAA Tournament, won the CBI Tournament title in 2022.
This article originally published at Yale men's basketball earns NIT berth, will play host to North Carolina-Wilmington in opener.
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