View source for 2012 National Invitation Tournament

{{ttop|Stanford}}
In a season where the NCAA bubble was extremely soft, there was really only one team relegated to the NIT field which legitimately felt snubbed.  That team, however, broke historic ground for the modern NIT, as it was the [[Pacific-12 Conference]] regular-season champion, [[Washington]].  It was the first time since the NCAA allowed at-large bids in 1975 that the regular-season champion of one of the six power conferences was excluded from the NCAA tournament, and only the third time that the regular-season champion of a conference which routinely received multiple bids failed to receive an NCAA invitation.  Washington, of course, received an automatic bid to the NIT for their trouble and acquitted themselves well, but ultimately bowed in the semifinals; the tournament was captured by their conference-mates [[Stanford]].  It was Stanford's second NIT title, the first coming in [[1991 National Invitation Tournament|1991]].

The NIT itself generated a pair of snubs, however.  Despite having been a bubble contender for the NCAA tournament most of the season and having a fairly strong profile, [[Denver]] was not selected for the NIT and as a result opted to stay home entirely for the 2012 post-season.  [[Pittsburgh]], who had begun the season highly-ranked but suffered through a lackluster campaign, had no expectations of an NCAA bid, but felt certain an NIT bid was forthcoming.  One was not, and the Panthers ended up accepting a bid to -- and winning -- the [[2012 College Basketball Invitational|College Basketball Invitational]].

=='''Automatic Bids'''==
'''The following teams received automatic bids to the NIT as a result of winning their conference's regular season championship but not receiving an invitation to the NCAA Tournament:'''
*Akron ([[{{mac}}]])
*Bucknell ([[{{patriot}}]])
*Drexel ([[{{caa}}]])
*Middle Tennessee State ([[{{sunb}}]])
*Nevada ([[{{wac}}]])
*Oral Roberts ([[{{midcon}}]])
*Savannah State ([[{{meac}}]])
*Stony Brook ([[{{amereast}}]])
*Texas-Arlington ([[{{sland}}]])
*Valparaiso ([[{{horizon}}]])
*Washington ([[{{pac12}}]])
=='''Opening Rounds'''==
'''at higher seed''' except:
* Washington QF (2) Dayton at (7) Iowa
===Washington Bracket===
{{bracket8-dates | RD1=First Round
| RD2=Second Round
| RD3=Quarterfinals
| group1=
| group2=
 | RD1-game1=Mar 13
 | RD1-seed1=6
 | RD1-team1=[[Louisiana State]]
 | RD1-score1=74
 | RD1-seed2=3
 | RD1-team2=[[Oregon]]
 | RD1-score2=96
 | RD1-game2=Mar 13
 | RD1-seed3=2
 | RD1-team3=[[Dayton]]
 | RD1-score3=72
 | RD1-seed4=7
 | RD1-team4=[[Iowa]]
 | RD1-score4=84
 | RD1-game3=Mar 13
 | RD1-seed5=5
 | RD1-team5=[[Akron]]
 | RD1-score5=74
 | RD1-seed6=4
 | RD1-team6=[[Northwestern]]
 | RD1-score6=76
 | RD1-game4=Mar 13
 | RD1-seed7=8
 | RD1-team7=[[Texas-Arlington]]
 | RD1-score7=72
 | RD1-seed8=1
 | RD1-team8=[[Washington]]
 | RD1-score8=82
 | RD2-game1=Mar 18
 | RD2-seed1=3
 | RD2-team1=Oregon
 | RD2-score1=108
 | RD2-seed2=7
 | RD2-team2=Iowa
 | RD2-score2=97
 | RD2-game2=Mar 16
 | RD2-seed3=4
 | RD2-team3=Northwestern
 | RD2-score3=55
 | RD2-seed4=1
 | RD2-team4=Washington
 | RD2-score4=76
 | RD3-game1=Mar 20
 | RD3-seed1=3
 | RD3-team1=Oregon
 | RD3-score1=86
 | RD3-seed2=1
 | RD3-team2=Washington
 | RD3-score2=90
}}
===Tennessee Bracket===
{{bracket8-dates | RD1=First Round
| RD2=Second Round
| RD3=Quarterfinals
| group1=
| group2=
 | RD1-game1=Mar 14
 | RD1-seed1=6
 | RD1-team1=[[Minnesota]]
 | RD1-score1=70
 | RD1-seed2=3
 | RD1-team2=[[La Salle]]
 | RD1-score2=61
 | RD1-game2=Mar 14
 | RD1-seed3=7
 | RD1-team3=[[Valparaiso]]
 | RD1-score3=50
 | RD1-seed4=2
 | RD1-team4=[[Miami (FL)]]
 | RD1-score4=66
 | RD1-game3=Mar 13
 | RD1-seed5=5
 | RD1-team5=[[Marshall]]
 | RD1-score5=78
 | RD1-seed6=4
 | RD1-team6=[[Middle Tennessee State]]
 | RD1-score6=86
 | RD1-game4=Mar 13
 | RD1-seed7=8
 | RD1-team7=[[Savannah State]]
 | RD1-score7=51
 | RD1-seed8=1
 | RD1-team8=[[Tennessee]]
 | RD1-score8=65
 | RD2-game1=Mar 19
 | RD2-seed1=6
 | RD2-team1=Minnesota
 | RD2-score1=78
 | RD2-seed2=2
 | RD2-team2=Miami (FL)
 | RD2-score2=60
 | RD2-game2=Mar 19
 | RD2-seed3=4
 | RD2-team3=Middle Tennessee State
 | RD2-score3=71
 | RD2-seed4=1
 | RD2-team4=Tennessee
 | RD2-score4=64
 | RD3-game1=Mar 21
 | RD3-seed1=6
 | RD3-team1=Minnesota
 | RD3-score1=78
 | RD3-seed2=4
 | RD3-team2=Middle Tennessee State
 | RD3-score2=72
}}
===Seton Hall Bracket===
{{bracket8-dates | RD1=First Round
| RD2=Second Round
| RD3=Quarterfinals
| group1=
| group2=
 | RD1-game1=Mar 14
 | RD1-seed1=6
 | RD1-team1=[[Central Florida]]
 | RD1-score1=56
 | RD1-seed2=3
 | RD1-team2=[[Drexel]]
 | RD1-score2=81
 | RD1-game2=Mar 14
 | RD1-seed3=7
 | RD1-team3=[[Northern Iowa]]
 | RD1-score3=67
 | RD1-seed4=2
 | RD1-team4=[[Saint Joseph's (PA)]]
 | RD1-score4=65
 | RD1-game3=Mar 13
 | RD1-seed5=5
 | RD1-team5=[[Massachusetts]]
 | RD1-score5=101
 | RD1-seed6=4
 | RD1-team6=[[Mississippi State]]
 | RD1-score6=96
 | RD1-OT3=2OT
 | RD1-game4=Mar 13
 | RD1-seed7=8
 | RD1-team7=[[Stony Brook]]
 | RD1-score7=61
 | RD1-seed8=1
 | RD1-team8=[[Seton Hall]]
 | RD1-score8=63
 | RD2-game1=Mar 18
 | RD2-seed1=3
 | RD2-team1=Drexel
 | RD2-score1=65
 | RD2-seed2=7
 | RD2-team2=Northern Iowa
 | RD2-score2=63
 | RD2-game2=Mar 17
 | RD2-seed3=5
 | RD2-team3=Massachusetts
 | RD2-score3=77
 | RD2-seed4=1
 | RD2-team4=Seton Hall
 | RD2-score4=67
 | RD3-game1=Mar 20
 | RD3-seed1=3
 | RD3-team1=Drexel
 | RD3-score1=70
 | RD3-seed2=5
 | RD3-team2=Massachusetts
 | RD3-score2=72
}}
===Arizona Bracket===
{{bracket8-dates | RD1=First Round
| RD2=Second Round
| RD3=Quarterfinals
| group1=
| group2=
 | RD1-game1=Mar 13
 | RD1-seed1=6
 | RD1-team1=[[Cleveland State]]
 | RD1-score1=65
 | RD1-seed2=3
 | RD1-team2=[[Stanford]]
 | RD1-score2=76
 | RD1-game2=Mar 14
 | RD1-seed3=7
 | RD1-team3=[[Illinois State]]
 | RD1-score3=96
 | RD1-seed4=2
 | RD1-team4=[[Mississippi]]
 | RD1-score4=93
| RD1-OT2=OT
 | RD1-game3=Mar 14
 | RD1-seed5=5
 | RD1-team5=[[Nevada]]
 | RD1-score5=68
 | RD1-seed6=4
 | RD1-team6=[[Oral Roberts]]
 | RD1-score6=59
 | RD1-game4=Mar 14
 | RD1-seed7=8
 | RD1-team7=[[Bucknell]]
 | RD1-score7=65
 | RD1-seed8=1
 | RD1-team8=[[Arizona]]
 | RD1-score8=54
 | RD2-game1=Mar 19
 | RD2-seed1=3
 | RD2-team1=Stanford
 | RD2-score1=92
 | RD2-seed2=7
 | RD2-team2=Illinois State
 | RD2-score2=88
| RD2-OT1=OT
 | RD2-game2=Mar 18
 | RD2-seed3=5
 | RD2-team3=Nevada
 | RD2-score3=75
 | RD2-seed4=8
 | RD2-team4=Bucknell
 | RD2-score4=67
 | RD3-game1=Mar 21
 | RD3-seed1=3
 | RD3-team1=Stanford
 | RD3-score1=84
 | RD3-seed2=5
 | RD3-team2=Nevada
 | RD3-score2=56
}}

=='''Semifinals and Finals'''==
'''Madison Square Garden, New York City NY
{{bracket4
| RD1=Semifinals, March 27
| RD2=Final, March 29
 | RD1-team1=Washington
 | RD1-score1=67
 | RD1-team2=Minnesota
 | RD1-score2=68
| RD1-OT1=OT
 | RD1-team3=Massachusetts
 | RD1-score3=74
 | RD1-team4=Stanford
 | RD1-score4=84
 | RD2-team1=Minnesota
 | RD2-score1=51
 | RD2-team2=Stanford
 | RD2-score2=75
}}
'''Most Valuable Player''': Aaron Bright, Stanford
----

{{nitbottom|2012}}