The 2012 NIT bracket (pdf) was announced on Sunday night, and the Northwestern Wildcats made the cut as a No. 4 seed, which means they will get to host a game; the Wildcats will face the Akron Zips on Tuesday night.
Related: Northwestern Wildcats a 4-seed in NIT vs. Akron Zips
It's a disappointing development for a Northwestern team that was very close to making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, but the team has an opportunity to finish the year on a positive note.
Northwestern's game against Akron is set for 8:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday on ESPN2.
Elsewhere in the bracket, Illinois State received a No. 7 seed and will play at Mississippi on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick'em and be part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy and free!
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For constant coverage of March Madness, stay with SB Nation's NCAA basketball news hub. And for more on Northwestern, visit Sippin' On Purple.