In First-Ever NIT Selection, Matadors Face Stanford
Update: March 17, 2025
CSUN Men’s Basketball is facing Stanford in its first-ever trip to the National Invitation Tournament, as announced by the NIT Committee on Sunday.
This is just the fourth time at the Division I level that CSUN will play in a national tournament, and the first since competing in the College Basketball Invitational in 2019. The Matadors made the NCAA Division I “March Madness” tournament in 2000-01 and 2008-09.
The NIT can be a stepping stone for up-and-coming teams such as CSUN, who this season tied a school record in wins, registering a 22-10 overall record and earning a first-round bye in the Hercules Tires Big West Men’s Basketball Championship, presented by Credit Union 1. The Matadors were knocked out of that tournament 78-72 by UC Santa Barbara on March 13.
Led by second-year head coach Andy Newman, CSUN has posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2008-09.
Placed in the San Francisco region in the NIT, CSUN will play at Stanford (20-13) on Tuesday, March 18, in first-round action. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
For more information, follow @gomatadors and @csunmbb on Instagram.
The Matadors lost a heartbreaker to Stanford, 88-79, in last year’s season opener. On March 13, Stanford lost, 75-73, to Louisville on a buzzer beater in the Atlantic Coast Conference quarterfinals.
Previous story: “Matadors Take Aim at March Madness,” published March 11, 2025
Fresh off their best regular season in a quarter century, the CSUN Men’s Basketball team is off to Nevada for their annual conference championship tournament and a shot at March Madness.
On Saturday night, the Matadors tied the school record for season wins, with 22 — their best record since 2000-01. The 82-73 triumph over Hawai’i was the icing on the cake, as it came on Senior Night in front of a roaring home crowd at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
CSUN went 22-9 overall for the regular season and 14-6 in Big West play, and on Saturday night, the Matadors completed the first season sweep of Hawai’i in team history. Marcus Adams topped the team with 21 points and eight rebounds, while senior Tyler Beard scored a season-high 19 points to go with six assists and six rebounds. Fellow senior PJ Fuller II reached 1,000 career points with a 16-point effort.
The Matadors will get a big sendoff from Premier America Credit Union Arena before they head to Henderson, Nev., for the 2025 Hercules Tires Big West Men’s Basketball Championship, presented by Credit Union 1. The send-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. today, March 11, and is open to all alumni, students, faculty, staff and community. For more information, follow @gomatadors and @csunmbb on Instagram.
After earning an automatic first-round bye as the tournament’s No. 4 seed, the Matadors will play in the second round at 6 p.m. on Thursday. March 13. The conference championship game is scheduled for Saturday, March 15.
What’s at Stake
The Big West champion earns a berth in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament — known as March Madness.
CSUN last won a conference championship in 2009, leading to a hard-fought loss to Memphis in the NCAA tournament.
An Exciting Season
CSUN enjoyed one of its most accomplished regular seasons in school history under head coach Andy Newman in just his second season at CSUN. The Matadors’ 22 wins tie the school record for wins — set by the 1977-78 team and matched by the 2000-01 team.
How to Get Tickets
Tickets to the conference tournament are available online. Tickets may also be available at the event venue, Lee’s Family Forum.
How to Watch or Listen
You can watch Thursday’s CSUN game on ESPN+ or listen on SiriusXM.
The Big West Conference website offers more details on how to watch or listen to all the games in the tournament.
The post In First-Ever NIT Selection, Matadors Face Stanford first appeared on CSUN Newsroom.
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