WNIT Officials Announce 64-team field for 2015

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Women’s National Invitation Tournament Selection Committee is excited to announce the 64-team field for the 2015 Postseason WNIT.  In the 18th year of the tournament, the committee has selected a competitive field which includes 35 teams with 20 or more victories. 

First-round action tips off Wednesday, March 18 and concludes Friday, March 20.  Second-round games begin March 21-24, round three March 25-27, quarterfinals March 28-30, and semifinals April 1-2. The championship game will be played Saturday, April 4 and will be televised live and in HD on CBS Sports Network at 3 p.m. ET. All games are hosted by participating schools. 

This year’s tournament features 6 teams from the Mid-American Conference and 4 from the West Coast Conference. Ten conferences each placed 3 teams – American, Atlantic 10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Sky, Colonial, C-USA, Horizon and Missouri Valley. Other conferences represented include: Big West (2), Mountain West (2), Pac-12 (2), SEC (2), America East (1), Atlantic Sun (1), Big South (1), Big Ten (1), Ivy League (1), MAAC (1), MEAC (1), Northeastern (1), Ohio Valley (1), Patriot (1), Southern (1), Southland (1), SWAC (1), Summit (1), Sun Belt (1) and WAC (1).

Eight teams won their regular season conference title: Colorado State (Mountain West), Hampton (MEAC), Hawaii (Big West), Maine (America East), South Dakota (Summit), Stephen F Austin (Southland), Texas Southern (SWAC) and UT Martin (OVC).

“The quality depth within Division-I women’s basketball is more obvious with each passing season, and the 2015 Postseason WNIT field is another example of how many high-achieving programs are out there,” said WNIT Director Renee Carlson. “And now, these teams will direct their energies toward wrapping up the season with a sense of purpose, and that should make for some great competition.”

Tournament officials award an Automatic Qualifying berth to each of the nation’s 32 conferences. The spot goes to the team that finishes the highest in the regular-season conference standings that does not advance to the NCAA Tournament. If there is a tie, the WNIT abides by the conference tiebreaker. A team earns the AQ berth regardless of its overall record. A total of 32 teams are then given an At-Large berth; a team must have an overall record of .500 or better to be considered.

The Postseason WNIT is owned and produced by Triple Crown Sports based in Fort Collins, Colo.  TCS also organizes men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments in Cancun, and the Preseason WNIT. TCS is the leader in youth and collegiate sports and manages more than 300 amateur sporting events across the country in volleyball, fastpitch softball, baseball, and basketball. With 32 years of experience in the event business, TCS is nationally recognized as a premier tournament organization. 

The official WNIT bracket, which will include matchups and dates, will be announced later tonight by 11:30 p.m. ET.  Game times will be announced by officials on Tuesday, March 17. 

School/Record/Conference
BOLD = Automatic Qualifier 
Akron (22-8) - MAC
Arkansas State (23-10) - Sun Belt
Army (23-7) - Patriot
Ball State (17-13) - MAC
Buffalo (19-12) - MAC
Central Connecticut St. (19-12) - NEC
Cleveland State (19-12) - Horizon
Colorado State (23-7) – Mountain West
CSU Bakersfield (23-8) - WAC
Creighton (17-13) - Big East
Drake (20-10) - MVC
Drexel (20-10) - Colonial
Duquesne (21-10) - Atlantic 10
East Carolina (21-10) - American
Eastern Michigan (22-12) - MAC
Eastern Washington (20-11) - Big Sky
Elon (19-12) - Colonial
ETSU (21-11) - Southern
Fordham (20-11) - Atlantic 10
Fresno State (22-9) - Mountain West
Georgia Tech (18-14) - ACC
Hampton (18-12) - MEAC
Hawaii (23-8) - Big West
Hofstra (20-12) - Colonial
Kansas State (18-13) - Big 12
Long Beach State (22-9) - Big West
Maine (23-8) - America East
Marist (21-11) - MAAC
Michigan (16-14) - Big Ten
Missouri (17-13) - SEC
Missouri State (18-14) - MVC
Middle Tennessee (21-9) - C-USA
NC State (16-14) - ACC
Northern Colorado (20-12) - Big Sky
Northern Iowa (17-14) - MVC
Old Dominion (20-12) - C-USA
Ole Miss (17-13) - SEC
Pacific (21-9) - WCC
Penn (20-8) - Ivy
Radford (17-13) - Big South
Richmond (18-13) - Atlantic 10
Sacramento State (16-15) - Big Sky
Saint Mary’s (20-10) - WCC
San Diego (24-6) - WCC
San Francisco (19-13) - WCC
South Dakota (25-7) - Summit
Southern Miss (22-10) - C-USA
St John’s (21-10) - Big East
Stephen F Austin (23-7) - Southland
Stetson (23-7) - Atlantic Sun
TCU (17-13) - Big 12
Temple (16-16) - American
Texas Southern (19-10) - SWAC
Toledo (18-13) - MAC
Tulsa (17-13) - American
UCLA (13-18) – Pac-12
UT Martin (22-10) - OVC
Villanova (19-13) - Big East
Virginia (17-13) - ACC
Washington State (17-14) – Pac-12
West Virginia (18-14) - Big 12
Western Michigan (20-12) - MAC
Wright State (25-8) - Horizon
Youngstown State (21-10) - Horizon

 

First Round
Wednesday, March 18
Eastern Washington at Washington State
Cleveland State at Michigan
Radford at East Carolina
UT Martin at Ole Miss
Western Michigan at Arkansas State

Thursday, March 19
Sacramento State at Pacific
San Francisco at Fresno State
Northern Colorado at Colorado State
Creighton at South Dakota
CSU Bakersfield at UCLA
Long Beach State at San Diego
Akron at Kansas State
Missouri at Northern Iowa
Texas Southern at Southern Miss
Stephen F. Austin at TCU
Virginia at Old Dominion
Army at St. John’s
Central Connecticut State at Fordham
Hampton at Drexel
Buffalo at West Virginia
Duquesne at Youngtown State
NC State at ETSU
Hofstra at Penn
Temple at Marist
Elon at Georgia Tech
Ball State at Middle Tennessee

Friday, March 20
Hawaii at St. Mary’s
Wright State at Toledo
Eastern Michigan at Drake
Tulsa at Missouri State
Maine at Villanova
Richmond at Stetson