Match-Ups Announced for 2016 Preseason WNIT

Full Bracket
 
Fort Collins, Colo. - Game times and matchups have been determined for the 2016 Preseason WNIT, with seven first-round games slated for November 11th and one for November 12th.
 
Round 2 of the 16-team event will unfold November 13-14; the semifinals are November 17, and the Preseason WNIT Championship will be played at 3:00 PM ET, November 20th, with the contest being televised by CBS Sports Network.
 
Among the first round games, Fordham will host Furman on November 11^th at 7:00 PM ET.  It will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.   This will also be the third time that the Rose Hill Gym will play host to a WNIT game, as the Rams hosted WNIT postseason games in 2013 and 2015, going a combined 3-0.
 
"We are very excited to host Furman in the Preseason WNIT. It is an outstanding opportunity for us as well as the Atlantic 10 to kick off the season in an exciting way," said Fordham head coach Stephanie Gaitley.

 
Here is a full listing of the opening round:
 
Friday, Nov. 11
Central Michigan at Notre Dame, 7 p.m. ET
Furman at Fordham, 7 p.m. ET
North Texas at Little Rock, 7:30 p.m. ET
Abilene Christian at Missouri, 8 p.m. ET
Elon at Green Bay, 8 p.m. ET
Omaha at Colorado State, 9 p.m. ET
Eastern Washington at Washington, 10 p.m. ET
 
Saturday, Nov. 12
UTRGV at Nebraska, 2 p.m. ET
 
Making their Preseason WNIT debut are the squads from Abilene Christian, Central Michigan, Elon, Fordham, Green Bay, Missouri, Omaha and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It's the second time around for Eastern Washington (2005), Furman (1997), Little Rock (2009), Northern Texas (2006) and Washington (1994-champions).
 
Joining the event for the third time is Colorado State (1998-champions, 2002) and Nebraska (1997, 2004); Notre Dame is in the mix for the fifth time (1996, 2004-champions, 2007, 2011).
 
In the 2015 Preseason WNIT Championship, Baylor defeated DePaul, 86-72. Both teams later advanced to the NCAA Tournament.  DePaul reached the Sweet 16, and Baylor made it to the quarterfinals.

The tournament features a three-game guarantee, so if a team loses in the championship bracket before it has played three games, it will play in the consolation bracket.
 
About the WNIT
The Preseason WNIT began in its modern form in 1994. Since its inception, more than 200 teams representing all 32 conferences have competed in the tournament. The UConn Huskies have won the championship a record three times. It is organized and produced by Triple Crown Sports, a national sports event company based in Fort Collins, Colo. For more information on the WNIT visit: www.womensnit.com.