re: Teams that have turned down the NIT

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It’s basically the Music City Bowl/Texas Bowl/Liberty Bowl of college basketball. You never hear of football teams turning down leaser bowl games.

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That's because often times the conferences have contracts with the bowl games that aren't really governed by the NCAA. And the schools, as part of the contract, have agreed to play. Plus, the payouts are much more lucrative. For example, the Music City Bowl total payout was $5.7 million last year.

For schools participating in the NIT the travel and expenses are paid for by the NCAA. However, the teams only get around $5,000 for each round in which they participate. Thus, the schools don't have a huge financial incentive to play. If the players want to opt out it's no big deal.