Cowgirls Receive First Round Bye In Women's NIT, Face Winner of UTSA-Northern Colorado

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (March 18, 2024) – The Wyoming Cowgirls will receive a first-round bye in the Women’s NIT, and will face the winner of UTSA and Northern Colorado, who play Thursday evening.

The second round of the tournament will be held March 23-26. The location and time of the Cowgirls’ second round matchup with the Roadrunners or Bears has yet to be determined. A team that receives a first-round bye does NOT automatically get to host in the next round.

The WNIT announced the 48 teams that will be competing in the 2024 version of the tournament.

With the introduction of the NCAA-run WBIT, the field shrank from 64 teams to 48, with 16 teams earning byes in the first round.

The WBIT is run by the NCAA and is now regarded as the second tiered postseason women's basketball tournament. The WBIT was given first choice of schools as the WNIT moved to the third tier. The WNIT is run by Triple Crown.

The first round of the annual women's basketball postseason event will start Wednesday, and the championship game is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET, Saturday April 6, on CBS Sports Network.

Here are the teams that have been selected:

2024 WNIT first round matchups

Host teams listed first, all times eastern

Wednesday, March 20

Southern Miss vs. UAB, 7 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Eastern Kentucky, 7 p.m.

Montana vs. Boise State, 9 p.m.

Thursday, March 21

Colgate vs. Albany, 6 p.m.

Buffalo vs. Monmouth, 6 p.m.

Butler vs. Bowling Green, 7 p.m.

USC Upstate vs. Charleston, 7 p.m.

FIU vs. Stetson, 7 p.m.

Central Arkansas vs. Saint Louis , 7:30 p.m.

UTSA vs. Northern Colorado, 7:30 p.m.

South Dakota vs. UC Riverside, 8 p.m.

Oral Robert vs. Grambling State, 8 p.m.

Southern Indiana vs. UIC, 8 p.m.

Pacific vs. Cal Poly, 9 p.m.

Friday, March 22

NC A&T vs. UNC-Greensboro, 7 p.m.

Niagara vs. LeMoyne, 7 p.m.

2024 WNIT second round matchups

Based on the bracket, host teams unclear

Wyoming vs. the winner of UTSA vs. Northern Colorado

Minnesota vs. the winner of Pacific vs. Cal Poly

North Dakota State vs. the winner of Montana vs. Boise State

Northern Arizona vs. the winner of South Dakota vs. UC Riverside

Troy vs. the winner of FIU vs. Stetson

Old Dominion vs. the winner of NC A&T vs. UNC-Greensboro

Murray State vs. the winner of Southern Miss vs. UAB

Louisiana Monroe vs. the winner of Oral Robert vs. Grambling State

Providence vs. the winner of Colgate vs. Albany

Vermont vs. the winner of Niagara vs. LeMoyne

Duquense vs. the winner of Buffalo vs. Monmouth

Purdue vs. the winner of Butler vs. Bowling Green

Cincinnati vs. the winner of Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Eastern Kentucky

Northern Iowa vs. the winner of Central Arkansas vs. Saint Louis

Illinois State vs. the winner of USC Upstate vs. Charleston

Wisconsin vs. the winner of Southern Indiana vs. UIC