For the fifth time in the last eight seasons, Illinois State has earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament and will open the first round Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena versus Green Bay in a game nationally-televised by ESPNU.

The Redbirds, who finished the regular season with a 21-12 overall record after winning six of their last seven games, enter the tournament as a No. 4 seed – ISU's highest NIT seeding since 2007-08 – while Green Bay earned a No. 5 seed after posting a 24-8 record.

Illinois (19-13) earned a No. 3 seed in the 2015 National Invitation Tournament and will face No. 6 seed Alabama (18-14) in the first round on Tuesday, March 17, at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast by ESPN.

Despite having a higher seed, the Fighting Illini will hit the road to face the Crimson Tide at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa due to renovations taking place at State Farm Center in Champaign.

Alabama went 18-14 overall and 8-10 in conference play to finish eighth in the SEC regular season standings and earn one of 20 at-large bids to the NIT.

This will mark the sixth appearance in the NIT for Illinois.