Fort Collins, Colo. – The Wichita State University women's basketball program joins an elite group of 16 teams in the 2013 Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).  

Ten of the 16 teams, including the Shockers, are coming off of NCAA Tournament appearances. The field features Georgia State, Gonzaga, Idaho, IPFW, Louisville, Loyola Chicago, LSU, Mount St. Mary's, North Carolina A&T, Oklahoma, Quinnipiac, Saint Joseph's, Stephen F. Austin, Stetson, Tennessee-Martin, and Wichita State.

The Preseason WNIT features a three-game guarantee format. The event opens Nov. 8 with first-round games. Second-round games will be played Nov. 10-11; semifinals will be Nov. 14; and the championship is set for Sunday, Nov. 17. Teams that lose in the first two rounds will play consolation games on the second weekend, Nov. 15-16. All games are hosted by participating schools.

The official tournament bracket with first-round opponents, game dates and times will be announced next month.  The championship game will be broadcast live in HD on CBS Sports Network at 3 p.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 17. 

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.

Wichita State is coming off the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament behind a school-record 24 wins.  The Shockers captured the school's first ever regular season and conference tournament championships last year and return MVC Tournament MVP Alex Harden.