UNDATED (AP) — The chase is on in the Big Ten. After watching Caitlin Clark sweep last season’s awards and lead Iowa to the national championship game, the Hawkeyes begin Clark’s final college season ranked No. 3 and as a heavy favorite to win the conference crown. But with No. 7 Ohio State, defending regular-season champ Indiana and perennial powerhouse Maryland all ranked in the top 15 and No. 23 Illinois not far behind, each conference team will be targeting those Iowa games as their biggest challenges.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Regular-season conference champions are no longer guaranteed spots in the National Invitation Tournament. The NIT Board of Managers tweaked its qualifying rules for its postseason tournament and say regular-season champs who do not win their conference tournament and are not otherwise selected to the NCAA Tournament will not receive an automatic bid to the NIT. Instead, the NIT will guarantee two teams — based on the NET rankings — from each of major six conferences. That’s two teams from the ACC, the Big East, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the Pac-12 and the SEC. Those 12 will also get to host a game.
CLEVELAND (AP) — The overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Women’s Tournament will get preferential treatment moving forward. The Division I Women’s Basketball Committee voted unanimously to place the tournament’s top seed in a regional pod with game days on Friday and Sunday. The move ensures the most rest possible for the No. 1 seed between the regional final and for the Women’s Final Four. South Carolina coach Dawn Staley had concerns and criticism about her team, the overall No. 1 seed, not getting the same number of days off as Iowa. Staley approached broadcast partner ESPN and NCAA officials about the issue at the Southeastern Conference’s spring meetings in May.
