Texas State To Play In 2018 Preseason WNIT

Texas State finished second in the Sun Belt Conference in both the regular season and conference tournament and earned an automatic bid into the 2018 Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Triple Crown Sports has announced Texas State as one of 16 teams participating in the 2018 Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

Teams were selected for the Preseason WNIT based on expected program success, their relevant past and conference standings.

“Being able to participate in the Preseason WNIT is exciting,” head coach Zenarae Antoine said. “Our program has worked hard and it is nice to see the work of our student-athletes and staff recognized by being extended with an invitation.

This upcoming season we will have a new schedule, team and set of challenges to face and I cannot wait. It is a great day to be a Bobcat.”

After a historic 2017-18 season, the Bobcats earned a spot in one of the game’s most prestigious preseason tournaments.

Texas State finished second in the Sun Belt Conference in both the regular season and conference tournament and earned an automatic bid into the 2018 Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

The Bobcats shattered several school records, including single-season victories in the Division I era. Under head coach Zenarae Antoine’s guidance, the team has played postseason basketball in four of the last five seasons.

The field will consist of nine teams that competed in postseason basketball following the 2017-18 campaign, including, three teams that reached the 2018 NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Tournament. Marquette earned an eight seed in the tournament a season ago.

The Golden Eagles defeated Dayton in the first round before falling to top-seeded Louisville in the second round of action.

Miami (Fla.) also claimed an eight seed, however, the Hurricanes fell to Quinnipiac in the opening round of the tournament.

After winning the 2018 Southland Conference Tournament, Nicholls State was defeated in the first round of the tournament by Mississippi State.

Five programs, including Texas State, competed in the 2018 Women’s National Invitation Tournament. Delaware, Northern Iowa and Stephen F. Austin faced a similar fate as the Bobcats, as each team lost in the first round of the WNIT. New Mexico enjoyed the most success, winning a pair of games in the WNIT before bowing out in the third round at the hands of TCU.

The final postseason institution played in the 2018 Women’s Basketball Invitational. The Yale Bulldogs defeated Central Arkansas in the final game, capturing the WBI crown.

The remainder of the field will be comprised of Auburn, Hartford, Iowa State, Montana State, Morgan State, Niagara and Northern Illinois.

The Preseason WNIT began in its modern form in 1994. It is organized and produced by Triple Crown Sports, a national sports event company based in Fort Collins, Colo.

Throughout the years, more than 200 of the nation’s Division I teams have played in the event, representing all 32 conferences.

Previous champions of the event include: Baylor, Colorado, Colorado State, Connecticut, Georgia, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, Texas Tech and Washington.

The first round matchups, locations and official bracket will be released at a later date.