Buffs Season Continues With NIT Bid

BOULDER – The University of Colorado has accepted a bid to the 2022 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and will host St. Bonaventure in a first-round game on Tuesday, March 15, at the CU Events Center.

The Buffaloes are the No. 4 seed in one of four eight-team regions and host the No. 5 Bonnies for a 9 p.m. MT tip on ESPN2. The winner of Tuesday's will play the winner of top-seeded Oklahoma and eighth-seeded Missouri State in the second round, to be announced, March 19-20.

Second round games and the regional finals (March 22-23) will be played on campus sites at the highest seeded team barring any institutional conflicts. The NIT semifinals will take place on Tuesday, March 29, at Madison Square Garden in New York, with the championship game on Thursday, March 31.

"We're excited to be playing this time of year and we're going to embrace this opportunity," Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said. "This will be the last tournament that this team is going to be in together and experience together and we want to make it last as long as we can."

The NIT returns to the iconic New York City arena for the first time since 2019. The 2020 event was canceled due to covid and the 2021 tournament was played in Frisco, Texas.

St. Bonaventure is 20-9 overall and finished fourth in the Atlantic-10 Conference with a 12-5 record. The Bonnies fell to Saint Louis in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic-10 Tournament. The Buffaloes and Bonnies have met once, New Years Day 1942, Colorado took a 52-28 decision in St. Bonaventure, N.Y.

Colorado makes its 12th NIT appearance and first since 2019, when the Buffaloes made a run to the quarterfinals. Colorado is 13-10 all-time in the NIT, winning the title in 1940. The Buffaloes also have a runner-up finish in 1938, a third place showing in 1991 and a semifinal appearance in 2011.

Overall, this will be Colorado's 28th postseason tournament past the conference level.

Colorado is 21-11 overall and finished fourth in the Pac-12 Conference at 12-8. The Buffaloes advanced to the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals before falling to top seed Arizona. Colorado claimed its 13th 20-win season in team history and ninth under head coach Tad Boyle.

Ticket information will be available soon at CUBuffs.com/tickets or call 303-49BUFFS for more information. Season ticket holders will have until 5 p.m. on Monday to purchase their seat locations.