STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford men’s basketball will participate in the postseason for the first time since 2018, as the program was selected to the National Invitation Tournament. Competing in the event for the 10th time, the Cardinal will host CSUN at Maples Pavilion in the first round.
Tickets for the first round of the NIT tournament will go on sale on Sunday, March 16 at 7 p.m. via tickets.gostanford.com. The game will tip off on Tuesday, March 18 at 8 p.m. PT and will air on ESPN2.
Stanford owns three NIT Championships in program history, coming in 1991, 2012 and 2015, while holding an all-time record of 19-6 across nine appearances. Stanford is 11-2 at home in the NIT, including nine straight wins from 2006-18, and it has advanced to the second round, or further, in each of its last five appearances.
The matchup with the Matadors will be the eighth in program history, with Stanford holding a 7-0 all-time record in a series that dates back to 1976. With a win, Stanford will host St. Bonaventure or Kent State in the second round.
The Cardinal enters the postseason at 20-13 overall, finishing seventh in the ACC. In the first season under Kyle Smith, the Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball, Stanford has reached 20 wins for the 25th time in program history and for the first time since 2020.
The postseason appearance is the fourth in a row for a Kyle Smith-led program, as his Washington State Cougars made three straight from 2022-24, including an NCAA Tournament second round showing in 2024.
Elite at Maples Pavilion, Stanford finished the regular season with the ACC's second-best home record at 16-2 overall, including a 9-1 mark in the ACC. Duke went 10-0 in the ACC at home, while the Cardinal are one of three one-loss teams at home in conference play, along with Clemson and Louisville. The Cardinal has totaled its home record since 2014-15 in terms of wins (16) and since 2007-08 in winning percentage (88.9%).
Stanford is led by three players averaging in double figures, including national double-double leader Maxime Raynaud, who enters the NIT as the only player in the country averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Oziyah Sellers (13.6 ppg) and Jaylen Blakes (12.9 ppg) are also scoring in double digits.
The entire tournament will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.