May 23, 2007
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame has been named to the 16-team field for the 2007 Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), it was announced Wednesday by the tournament’s sponsor, Triple Crown Sports. The 14th edition of the Preseason WNIT will feature a new format this fall, moving from the traditional single elimination bracket to a three-game guarantee format, with all games still played at campus sites. Opening round action will get underway Nov. 9, with pairings, game locations, dates and times to be released next month. Round two will be played Nov. 11-13, with the semifinals slated for Nov. 14-15 and the title game to take place on Nov. 18. The newly-created consolation bracket will be played on Nov. 16-17.
Among the other notable participants selected for this year’s Preseason WNIT are 2006 NCAA champion Maryland, 2007 NCAA Final Four qualifier LSU, and 2005 national runner-up Michigan State. In addition, Delaware, TCU and Western Kentucky were either ranked or receiving votes in one or both major polls at some point last season. Rounding out the ’07 Preseason WNIT field are: Delaware State, East Tennessee State, Evansville, IUPUI, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Princeton, Radford and Samford.
No more than one team per conference is invited to the tournament each year, and nine of this fall’s invitees will be playing in the event for the first time: Delaware State, East Tennessee State, IUPUI, LSU, Marshall, Michigan State, Princeton, Radford and Samford. Invitations are issued to schools based upon expected strength for the 2007-08 season, as well as past team history, while other factors such as conference results, fan base and geographical location also are taken into consideration.
Notre Dame will be making its third appearance in the Preseason WNIT, and first since the 2004-05 season, when the Irish reeled off four consecutive victories, all at the Joyce Center, to win their first championship. Notre Dame made waves in its final two tournament games, ousting No. 6 Duke, 76-65 in the semifinals and No. 10/9 Ohio State, 66-62 in the title game three days later. It was the second time in school history the Irish posted back-to-back victories over top-10 opponents, having previously pulled off that feat at the 2001 NCAA Women’s Final Four in St. Louis (vs. No. 1 Connecticut and No. 9/8 Purdue) en route to the program’s first national championship.
The Irish also took part in the 1997 Preseason WNIT, finishing third on the strength of wins over Kent State (66-41), at No. 6 Iowa (61-50) and vs. No. 8/12 North Carolina State (64-53) in the consolation final after losing to No. 3/2 Tennessee (72-59) in the semifinals, played at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, La.
As a conference, the BIG EAST has performed very well in the Preseason WNIT, sending a team to the championship game in four of the past six years and six times in the tournament’s 13 years of existence. Notre Dame (2004) and Connecticut (1997, 2001, 2005) have won Preseason WNIT titles, while Rutgers twice has finished as tournament runner-up (1998, 2003). For more information on the tournament and a look at the new three-game guarantee procedure, visit the official Preseason WNIT web site.
Notre Dame will have three starters and nine monogram winners returning this fall from last year’s club that posted a 20-12 record and reached the NCAA Tournament for the 12th consecutive season. Renewal notices for Irish season ticket holders will be mailed out in early June, and will include the option to purchase tickets for any Preseason WNIT games that may be played at the Joyce Center. For fans wishing to buy Notre Dame women’s basketball season tickets for the first time, those will go on sale in August through the Irish Athletics Ticket Office (574-631-7356), while individual game tickets will go on sale in October, following the release of the completed ’07-08 Notre Dame women’s basketball schedule.
— ND —