For the fifth straight year, the National Golf Invitational is returning as the premier non-NCAA postseason tournament in college golf.
The NGI, better known as the NIT of college golf, is returning for the fifth time this May at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Arizona, which will once again host the postseason event.
The men's and women's fields will feature a maximum of 18 teams playing 54 holes of stroke play. Women will play first, May 10-12, with the men the following week, May 21-23. The women's event is being moved up this year due to AK-Chin hosting an NCAA Regional prior to the men's event.
The NGI gives teams on the outside of the NCAA postseason a chance to play in May. Numerous programs have made their first postseason appearances
at the NGI, and some of those teams have used that exposure to continue making school history. For example, the Eastern Michigan women finished runner-up in 2025 at the NGI and then made the semifinals of the NCAA Women's Golf Championship the following year.
"We convinced our AD we needed to play in the postseason as a team," Eastern Michigan coach Josh Brewer said. "We wanted to do something special in the future. I think it helped build something this year that we can do something late in the year.
"I would challenge all coaches and ADs to play because who knows, maybe you could be us in a year or two."
Previous NGI team champions
The Ohio State men also made NCAA match play in 2024, but when the Buckeyes didn't receive an NCAA postseason bid in 2025, they went to the NGI and won.
The NGI will continue to invite teams based on ranking but also invite teams that are under .500 in ranking order that are outside the number to earn an at-large bid into NCAA regionals.
Last season, the Grand Canyon men and Wyoming women took home the titles. Next spring, two more programs will add their names to the growing legacy of the National Golf Invitational.
Cameron Jourdan is an assistant editor of Golfweek, covering college and amateur golf, the PGA Tour and plenty more. Follow Cameron on X/Twitter (@Cam_Jourdan) or Instagram (@GolfweekJourdan).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: National Golf Invitational returns for 5th year as college golf's NIT
