FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Niagara women's basketball team has been selected to participate in the 2018 Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Purple Eagles will play in the event for the first time in program history.
"It is truly an honor to be the first Niagara team to receive an invite to the prestigious Preseason WNIT," said head coach
Jada Pierce. "We appreciate the committee recognizing us. This is a testament to all the hard work and effort we are putting in every day building our program. This opportunity provides us a chance to play against high level opponents on a national stage."
The Purple Eagles finished the 2017-18 season with 13 wins, the teams' most wins since the 2014-15 season (14), and advanced to the 2018 MAAC Tournament Quarterfinals.
The Preseason WNIT is an annual invitation-only tournament with 16 of the nation's top NCAA Division I women's basketball programs competing. Teams are selected for the tournament based on their program's expected success for the season, their relevant past, their conference standings, fan base and geographical location. Only one team per conference may compete in the tournament in the same year.
The 2018 Preseason NIT field includes: Auburn (SEC), Delaware (Colonial), Hartford (America East), Iowa State (Big 12), Marquette (Big East), Miami (ACC), Montana State (Big Sky), Morgan State (Mid-Eastern), New Mexico (Mountain West), Niagara (Metro Atlantic), Nicholls State (Southland), Northern Illinois (Mid-American), Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley), Stephen F. Austin (Southland), Texas State (Sun Belt) and Yale (Ivy).
Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter
@NUPurpleEagles and for women's basketball updates at
@NiagaraWBB. Check in with the Purple Eagles on
Facebook/PurpleEagles and on Instagram
@NUPurpleEagles.
About Triple Crown Sports
Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing college and youth events for more than 30 years. TCS runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and produces the men’s and women’s Cancun Challenge tournaments in November at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. Triple Crown is also powering “WNIT” concept events in D-I softball (NISC) and volleyball (NIVC), with those two events debuting in 2017. TCS youth fastpitch tournaments (including the 900-team Sparkler/Fireworks event) draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 37th year of competition during the 2017-18 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.