[1] Participants who belonged to "mid-major" conferences and who were not invited to the 2017 NCAA tournament or the National Invitation Tournament make up the field.
After all 26 teams played in the first round, the top-three highest rated teams based on the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings regular season rating automatically advanced to the quarterfinals.
Saint Peter's beat Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 62–61 in the championship game.
After all 26 teams played in the first round, the top-three highest rated teams based on the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings regular season rating automatically advanced to the quarterfinals.
For 2017, the CIT introduced three more "Classic" games, for a total of four, all to be played in the first round.