Seton Hall won first Men’s NIT Championship (1953) In a season where the Pirates won 27 straight games, it was almost expected by the student body and fans alike that the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Championship would take its place in a South Orange trophy case. In the last few games, though, seton Hall suffered consecutive losses to Dayton and Louisville to shatter the hearts of the current BIG EAST rival St. John’s en route to their first collegiate basketball championship.