It is the nation's oldest postseason college basketball tournament. For decades the National Invitation Tournament has been a prestigious event that schools have pointed to and proudly played in. What began with a six-team field in 1938 is now a forty-team event. The NIT has become a proving ground for emerging teams on the verge of making a run for the NCAA national championship. Teams fortunate enough to earn the championship and cut down the nets in Madison Square Garden revel in their accomplishment and treasure it for years to come. The National Invitation Tournament, a pictorial essay, is a tribute to the coaches, players, and fans of this respected event.