Cal Hosts Illinois-Chicago in First-Round NIT Game

Bears get NIT bid after missing NCAA Tournament

Mar. 16, 2026 at 2:05am

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The Cal Bears men's basketball team did not make the NCAA Tournament, but they have received an invitation to play in the 32-team National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Cal will host the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Flames in the first round of the NIT on Wednesday, March 18th at Haas Pavilion.

Why it matters

This is Cal's first postseason appearance since 2017. The Bears are the No. 2 seed in the Albuquerque Regional of the NIT, and if they win their opening game, they would host the winner of the first-round matchup between Saint Joseph's and Colorado State in the second round.

The details

The Bears finished the regular season with a 21-11 record, while UIC had a 19-15 record and went 12-8 in Missouri Valley Conference play. The winner of the Cal-UIC game will advance to play in the NIT quarterfinals on March 24 or 25, with the four regional winners then moving on to the semifinals on April 2 in Indianapolis.

  • The Cal-UIC first-round NIT game will be played on Wednesday, March 18 at 8 p.m. Pacific time.
  • The NIT quarterfinal games are scheduled for March 24 and 25.
  • The NIT semifinals will take place on April 2 in Indianapolis.
  • The NIT championship game will be played on April 5 in Indianapolis.

The players

Cal Bears

The men's basketball team from the University of California, Berkeley that received an NIT bid after missing the NCAA Tournament.

University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Flames

The men's basketball team from the University of Illinois at Chicago that will face Cal in the first round of the NIT.

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What’s next

If Cal wins their first-round NIT game against UIC, they would host the winner of the first-round matchup between Saint Joseph's and Colorado State in the second round on either March 21 or 22.

The takeaway

Cal's NIT bid represents a chance for the team to extend their season and compete in the postseason after missing out on the NCAA Tournament. The Bears will look to make the most of their opportunity and potentially advance deep into the NIT.