Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

[JBNJBQ]

32-TEAM FIELD ANNOUNCED
FOR 2005 POSTSEASON
SPORTSVIEW.TV WNIT

March 13, 2005 – The Women’s National Invitation Tournament will kick off the 2005 postseason action for women’s basketball with a 32-team field, highlighted by Delaware, Iowa, Gonzaga and Villanova.

The Southeastern Conference is represented by four teams, followed by the Big East and Missouri Valley conferences, which have three teams each in the Sportsview.tv WNIT.

First-round games will be played beginning Wednesday, March 16 through Friday, March 18.

All tournament games are played at participating schools. No seeds are designated. Here are the tournament pairings, the teams and their records. Game times will be announced Monday, March 14, by the WNIT. For more information, visit the Web site at www.womensnit.com

Tulsa at Texas A&M, Wednesday, March 16
Fresno State at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Friday, March 18
Southern Methodist at Southwest Missouri State, Thursday, March 17
Brigham Young at Gonzaga, Wednesday, March 16

UNLV at Arkansas, Friday, March 18
Mississippi State at Arkansas State, Thursday, March 17
Nebraska at Marquette, Thursday, March 17
Creighton at Iowa, Friday, March 18

Illinois at Indiana State, Wednesday, March 16
Xavier at Western Kentucky, Wednesday, March 16
Eastern Michigan at Kentucky, Friday, March 18
Villanova at Chattanooga, Friday, March 18

Charlotte at Wake Forest, Friday, March 18
Florida at South Florida, Thursday, March 17
St. John’s at Delaware, Thursday, March 17
Maine at West Virginia, Friday, March 18



Didn't SDSU Women BBall team beat Kentucky this year?

[Charger13]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

It's also nice to see Texas-A&M CC get an invite since they are indepedent as well.

[89rabbit]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

It's also nice to see Texas-A&M CC get an invite since they are indepedent as well.

Not just an invite, they are hosting a game!  8)

Go State!  ;D

[cal_jack]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

We a banned from participating in the NIT for the same length of time as the NCAA tourney?

[cal_jack]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

I meant to say "Are we banned from participating in the NIT for the same length of time as the NCAA's?"

[89rabbit]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

The Men's and Women's teams will be eligible for the NIT next season.

Go State! ;D

[cal_jack]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

Thanks

[OKC_Poke]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

The Men's and Women's teams will be eligible for the NIT next season.  

Go State!  ;D

When will you be eligible for the Big Dance?

I've been impressed with SDSU in it's first year at the Division I level.  Keep it up!

[89rabbit]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

When will you be eligible for the Big Dance?

I've been impressed with SDSU in it's first year at the Division I level.  Keep it up!

'08-'09 season.

[OKC_Poke]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

'08-'09 season.

Thanks.

Why be eligible so soon for the NIT? I understand the NCAA tourny probationary period but, still...

[Crashola]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

Thanks.

Why be eligible so soon for the NIT?  I understand the NCAA tourny probationary period but, still...

Here's my uneducated guess: as with most things, it's likely about money. The big NCAA schools don't want to share a piece of the huge March Madness pie with just anyone, so they make it tough for an upstart school to get to the show. The NIT, on the other hand, is: (1) not run by the schools; and (2) not afforded the luxury of being choosy like the NCAA. Heck, I just learned today that the NCAA play-in game included two autobid schools. I always assumed that the play-in game was only for at-large bids.

[cal_jack]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

There both about money. The NIT will take lesser team that can put 8,000 butts in a gym over a much better team that can only put 4,000 in thier gym.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

Another point, the NIT does not have a contract with CBS worth millions and that is what separates the sheep and the goats come tournament time.  The contract they have with ESPN probably does not pay that much, but still its a recognition to get an invite and the opportunity to compete.

In addition, I think the NIT has been around for a long time, as if you back to the 1950's and possibly even the 1940's. The total teams selected in the 1950's as I recall was something like 24 schools. Even back then there were those who were left out and I suppose this is how the National Invitational Tourney got started.

SDSU has got to win win win in the next couple of years to get recognition even for an invite to the NIT. We cant do that with this years schedule. Upward and onward. ;D ;D

[cal_jack]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

Back before the NCAA got big, the NIT was THE tournament. Back in the 40's, 50's and before it was consider the national championship tourney.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Kentucky gets invite to WNIT

Back before the NCAA got big, the NIT was THE tournament.  Back in the 40's, 50's and before it was consider the national championship tourney.

I am not an expert on the history of these two tournaments, but I do know the NCAA split the college and university classification in 1957. This was the for-runner to D1, D2 and D3 set up in 1973. SDSU winning the college division in 1963 and USD in 1958.

I do believe there was a big shaving point and gambling scandal during the late 1940's that did destroy the NIT image some since it involved CCNY and a few other participants. I believe the entire tournament was held at Madison Square Gardens.

If you check the NCAA records, they have been having a national champion determined by tournament play for a long, long time including the 1920's and 1930's and maybe before.  

So I am not saying you comment is right or wrong, its a long time ago and we need a good historian here to set the facts straight.  Maybe some one else can explain this better.