2016 WNIT field announced
Bracket and first round matchups
The Women’s National Invitation Tournament Selection Committee announced the 64-team field for the 2016 Postseason WNIT Monday evening. In the 19th year of the tournament, first-round action will tip off Wednesday, March 16. Play concludes Friday, March 18.
Second-round games will run March 19-22, Round three goes March 23-25, quarterfinals are March 26-28, and semifinals will be played March 30-31. The championship game will be played Saturday, April 2 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 six teams from the Big Ten, five from the Mid-American Conference and four each from the ACC, C-USA and West Coast Conference. Four conferences each placed three teams – American, A-10, Big East and Colonial. Other conferences represented include Big West (2), Horizon (2), Missouri Valley (2), Pac-12 (2), Summit (2), Sun Belt (2), America East (1), Atlantic Sun (1), Big 12 (1), Big Sky (1), Big South (1), Ivy (1), MAAC (1), MEAC (1), Mountain West (1), Northeast (1), OVC (1), Patriot (1), SEC (1), Southern (1), Southland (1), SWAC (1) and WAC (1).
There are 18 teams that either won or tied for their conference title in the 2016 field. 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 complete bracket will be announced later this evening.
Automatic bid Teams
Abilene Christian (26-3), Southland
Arkansas State (26-5), Sun Belt
Bethune-Cookman (18-12), MEAC
Bucknell (24-7), Patriot
Drexel (19-13), Colonial
Florida Gulf Coast (28-5), Atlantic Sun
Fresno State (21-11), MWC
Harvard (14-13), Ivy
Liberty (20-12), Big South
Maine (26-8, America East
Mercer (24-8), Southern
Milwaukee (19-12), Horizon
Minnesota (19-11), Big Ten
Montana State (21-9), Big Sky
Northern Iowa (22-10), Missouri Valley
Ohio (24-6), Mid-American
Oregon (20-10), Pac-12
Quinnipiac (24-8), MAAC
Sacred Heart (20-12), Northeast
Saint Louis (24-7), Atlantic 10
Saint Mary’s (24-7), WCC
South Dakota (26-6), Summit
Southern (19-11), SWAC
TCU (16-14), Big 12
Temple (20-11), American
UC Riverside (23-8), Big West
UT Martin (21-9), Ohio Valley
UTEP (26-4), C-USA
UT Rio Grande Valley (19-13), WAC
Villanova (19-11), Big East
At-Large Teams
Akron (19-13), Mid-American
Alabama (15-15), SEC
Ball State (21-9), Mid-American
Central Michigan (22-10), Mid-American
Charlotte (19-11), C-USA
Creighton (17-17), Big East
Dayton (14-14), Atlantic 10
Drake (22-9), Missouri Valley
Eastern Michigan (21-11), Mid-American
Elon (18-12), Colonial
Georgetown (16-13), Big East
Georgia Tech (19-12), ACC
Gonzaga (18-13), West Coast
Hofstra (22-8), Colonial
Iowa (19-13), Big Ten
IUPUI (20-10), Summit
Little Rock (20-12), Sun Belt
Long Beach State (24-8), Big West
Marshall (21-11), C-USA
Memphis (18-12), American
Michigan (17-13), Big Ten
Nebraska (18-12), Big Ten
Northwestern (18-16), Big Ten
Rutgers (18-14), Big Ten
San Diego (23-7), West Coast
Santa Clara (23-8), West Coast
Tulane (21-11), American
Utah (16-14), Pac-12
VCU (23-9), Atlantic 10
Virginia (16-15), ACC
Virginia Tech (17-13), ACC
Wake Forest (16-15), ACC
Western Kentucky (24-6), C-USA
Wright State (24-10), Horizon
