NIT will reportedly leave Madison Square Garden until at least 2025

Madison Square Garden has hosted the NIT semifinals and championship game since 1938

The end of a long era at Madison Square Garden is coming. MSG, which is currently hosting the NIT, will no longer be home to the tournament the following two years, according to the Associated Press. 

Nothing has decided beyond 2024, but ESPN reported that the NIT is "accepting bids from numerous venues" to host the next NITs.

The NIT, college basketball's oldest national tournament and second in importance only to the NCAA Tournament, has taken place at Madison Square Garden since 1938. For decades the venue hosted every single game of the tournament, but that stopped in 1977. Since then, MSG has hosted just the semifinals and final. Early round games are instead played on college campuses and at regional venues.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a strong effect on the NIT. In 2021 it was played in North Texas -- a long ways from MSG -- with a reduced field of teams. A year earlier, in 2020, the NIT -- like the NCAA Tournament -- was completely cancelled due to the pandemic.

The NIT will makes its return to Madison Square Garden later in March when Xavier takes on St. Bonaventure in the semifinals. On the other hand, Texas A&M will face Washington State and the two winners will meet in Thursday's championship game. After that title game, it remains to be seen when the tournament will return to Madison Square Garden.