FLORENCE – A little after 8:30 Sunday night, University of North Alabama and Lion Nation social media lit up – the UNA men’s basketball team is headed to the NIT.
Accounts from Student Engagement to mascots Leo and Una, from Student Affairs to Housing & Residence Life, from faculty to staff all posted congratulations and “let’s go!”
And, of course, Lion fans joined in, sharing their pride and well wishes.
UNA was one of 32 teams selected for the National Invitation Tournament and will travel to Peoria, Ill., to face Bradley in the first round at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Three other Alabama teams also made the field of 32: Jacksonville State, Samford, and UAB. If both teams win their opening round games, North Alabama and Samford would face off in the second round. If Jacksonville State and UAB win two games, they would play each other in the quarter final round.
WE ARE @NITMBB BOUND 🔥
Check out our team celebration at Lost Pizza featuring Jacari Lane behind the camera 🎥#RoarLions 🦁 pic.twitter.com/LNmGn9122r
— North Alabama Men’s Basketball (@UNA_Basketball) March 17, 2025
Started in 1938, the NIT has been played every year since, except in 2020 during the beginning of the COVID pandemic. The tournament, which holds opening round games at campus sites, previously held semifinals and finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This year, they are at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Record year for Lions
UNA finished 24-10 this season, including claiming a share of the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Regular Season Championship. UNA also made the ASUN Championship game, falling to Lipscomb. The 24 wins and 14 ASUN wins are records in the program’s Division I history.
Bradley is 26-8 overall and finished 15-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Like UNA, Bradley reached its conference championship game but lost to top-seeded Drake. The Braves will be without two starters, seniors who have opted out of postseason play, according to the Peoria Journal Star.
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