Those days are long gone, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't celebrate the achievement of the schools that won National Invitation Tournament titles, back when they meant something. And I'm not just saying that because my favorite team -- St. John's -- is the UCLA of the NIT, with six championships, four of which were won in the tournament's heyday of the 40s, 50s and 60s.
NIT Champions: 1938 - Present
- 2008 - Ohio State
- 2007 - West Virginia
- 2006 - South Carolina
- 2005 - South Carolina
- 2004 - Michigan
- 2003 - St. John's
- 2002 - Memphis
- 2001 - Tulsa
- 2000 - Wake Forest
- 1999 - California
- 1998 - Minnesota
- 1997 - Michigan
- 1996 - Nebraska
- 1995 - Virginia Tech
- 1994 - Villanova
- 1993 - Minnesota
- 1992 - Virginia
- 1991 - Stanford
- 1990 - Vanderbilt
- 1989 - St. John's
- 1988 - Connecticut
- 1987 - Southern Mississippi
- 1986 - Ohio State
- 1985 - UCLA
- 1984 - Michigan
- 1983 - Fresno State
- 1982 - Bradley
- 1981 - Tulsa
- 1980 - Virginia
- 1979 - Indiana
- 1978 - Texas
- 1977 - St. Bonaventure
- 1976 - Kentucky
- 1975 - Princeton
- 1974 - Purdue
- 1973 - Virginia Tech
- 1972 - Maryland
- 1971 - North Carolina
- 1970 - Marquette
- 1969 - Temple
- 1968 - Dayton
- 1967 - Southern Illinois
- 1966 - BYU
- 1965 - St. John's
- 1964 - Bradley
- 1963 - Providence
- 1962 - Dayton
- 1961 - Providence
- 1960 - Bradley
- 1959 - St. John's
- 1958 - Xavier
- 1957 - Bradley
- 1956 - Louisville
- 1955 - Duquesne
- 1954 - Holy Cross
- 1953 - Seton Hall
- 1952 - La Salle
- 1951 - BYU
- 1950 - C.C.N.Y.
- 1949 - San Francisco
- 1948 - St. Louis
- 1947 - Utah
- 1946 - Kentucky
- 1945 - DePaul
- 1944 - St. John's
- 1943 - St. John's
- 1942 - West Virginia
- 1941 - LIU
- 1940 - Colorado
- 1939 - LIU
- 1938 - Temple
