MACOMB, IL -- The 2001 Western Illinois National Invitational Championship will be held Friday, Sept. 21 through Sunday, Sept. 23, at the Green Valley Softball Complex in Moline, IL. The complex is located on 60th Avenue, off John Deere Road, in Moline, Illinois
The tournament, in its 13th season, will feature 13 collegiate teams from around the Midwest, including several Big Ten and Missouri Valley schools, as well as host Western Illinois. Teams are split into three pools, and all but the fifth-place team in pool C will advance to the single-elimination bracket. Four NCAA Tournament teams will appear in the NIC, including three in Pool B -- Iowa, Illinois State and Western Illinois -- who last faced each other in the 2000 NCAA Regional Tournament in Iowa City. Pool play is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Friday, September 21, with 22 games continuing through Saturday, September 22. The single-elimination bracket begins on Saturday evening, and finishes with the championship game at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 23. Tickets are available at the Western Illinois Athletics Ticket Office by calling 309/298-1190, or in person at Western Hall, Room 103. Parking is free all weekend. Concessions, official NIC tournament merchandise and programs will be available for sale. Detailed tournament information is available at the official NIC web site .