Women's National Invitation Tournament

Format

Preseason

The WNIT began in 1994 as a 16-team preseason tournament; the preseason version has remained at that field size throughout its history except for the 2021 event, which was reduced to eight teams due to ongoing COVID-19 issues. Originally, the preseason WNIT was a single-elimination tournament, but since the 2007 edition has used a format which guarantees all participating teams three games. Since it is classified by the NCAA as an "exempt" event, a team can only participate in the preseason WNIT once every four years; additionally, only one team per conference may participate.

The 2021 event involved eight teams divided into four-team pods, one hosted by Kansas State and the other by NC State. Each team played a full round-robin within its pod, followed by Kansas State traveling to NC State for a final game. No overall champion was crowned, and a separate all-tournament team was named for each pod.

In 2022 it featured 4 teams: Colorado, Jackson State, Louisiana and Texas Tech, with Texas Tech the winner.

In 2023 the "tournament" featured just 3 teams and 2 games, with Baylor the only undefeated team of the 3.

There was no preseason WNIT in 2024.

Postseason

The postseason WNIT started in 1998 as a 16-team tournament. It was doubled to a 32-team tournament in 1999, and once more in 2021. In 2006, competing schools assumed more responsibility, hosting the early rounds of the tourney, and additional expansion was made to forty teams. At that time, schools which won their regular-season conference title but were excluded from the NCAA tournament by having lost their conference tournament were awarded automatic bids. The field was further expanded in 2007 to 48 teams, with automatic bids awarded to each Division I conference. The tournament was expanded to 64 teams in 2021, but will be reduced to 48 from 2024 & hereafter. This most recent change came shortly after the NCAA announced it would create the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament, a 32-team event whose first edition will be held in 2024.

Through the 2023 edition, the postseason field consisted of 32 automatic berths – one from each conference – and 32 at-large teams. Thirty-two spots in the Postseason WNIT were filled automatically by the best item available in each of the nation's 32 conferences. If a conference's automatic qualifier team declined the WNIT invitation, the conference forfeited that automatic spot, and that selection went into the pool of at-large schools. The remaining 32 team slots in the Postseason WNIT were filled by the top teams available. Any team from a Division I conference, or a Division I independent team, may be considered. Any team considered for an at-large berth must have an overall record of .500 or better. The format won't affect the WNIT's automatic bid to any regular season conference champion not making the 68-team field, since 2022. Bids are announced on the evening of the same day that the NCAA tourney bids are made. Triple Crown Sports has not yet announced the future 48-team format.

The 64-team tournament had 32 first-round games, followed by 16 second-round games, eight third-round games, four quarterfinal games, two semifinal games, and the championship. Since the WNIT is a for-profit tournament, all games are played on the site of the higher bidding team. The national championship game is currently carried on CBS Sports Network. Teams can host in the first round for a guarantee of $6,500 a game and in the second round for $7,500 a game. Early-round pairings are regionalized as much as possible in order to minimize missed class time and travel costs.

Since 2024, this 48-team tourney has 16 games each for the first two rounds, eight third-round games, four quarterfinal games, two semifinal games and the championship.

Championship history

Postseason

*Was called National Women's Invitational Tournament.

Preseason

References

References

1. "Triple Crown Sports - Home".
2. Cooper, Gregory. "Women's College Basketball Championship Page".
3. "WNIT: Event Info". Triple Crown Sports.
4. (June 10, 2021). "Preseason WNIT announces field, format change for 2021 event". Triple Crown Sports.
5. "Preseason WNIT Event History".
6. "Preseason WNIT set with three teams after format change".
7. "Event Info".
8. (July 17, 2023). "WNIT Statement". Triple Crown Sports.
9. "FGCU sees payoff to being postseason hosts".
10. "1994 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
11. "Washington Huskies".
12. "1995 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
13. "1996 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
14. "1997 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
15. "1998 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
16. "1999 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
17. "2000 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
18. "2001 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
19. "2002 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
20. "2003 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
21. "2004 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
22. "2005 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
23. "2006 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
24. "2007 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
25. "2008 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
26. "2009 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
27. "2010 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
28. "2011 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
29. "2012 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
30. "2013 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
31. "2014 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
32. "2015 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
33. "2016 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
34. "2017 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
35. "2018 Preseason Championship Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament".
36. "2019 Preseason WNIT".