Fighting Illini Head To NIT For Postseason Play [VIDEO]

The Fighting Illini hope to end the postseason with a better taste in their mouth than was was left after a blowout in the Big Ten tournament at the hands of Michigan. The team will play in the NIT with a chance to extend the year by a few weeks.

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. The game will take place Tuesday, March 17, at 8 p.m. You can catch all the action here on WROK.

Despite having a higher seed, the 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.

It's not the NCAA Tournament berth everyone was hoping for, but this does provide the opportunity for the team's seniors to extend their careers and for the underclassmen to pile up more experience in a "one-and-done" format.

Here's Illinois Coach John Groce discussing the team's NIT bid: