Howard University headlines a host of top women's basketball programs announced to compete in the Preseason WNIT announced earlier today.  The Bison will face the Baylor Lady Bears in the opening round, November 11 beginning 7 p.m. ET.

Top 10 teams including Baylor, Notre Dame, and UCLA headline the field that features nine teams that played in the postseason last year. The Preseason WNIT also includes Akron, Chattanooga, Detroit, Drexel, ETSU, Hartford, Howard, Indiana State, Long Island, Manhattan, McNeese State, Tennessee Tech, and UAB.

The Howard Lady Bison, runners-up at the 2011 MEAC Women's Basketball championship tournament, finished last season 16-18 overall and will return conference Player of the Year Saadia Doyle and all five of their starters. This marks the first appearance for the Lady Bison in the Preseason WNIT.

Baylor is a favorite to win next season's national title after advancing deep into the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Bears have U.S. Basketball Writers Association coach of the year Kim Mulkey to lead freshman of the year Odyssey Sims, All-American Brittney Griner, and the vast majority of the Bears that went 34-3 last season and captured the Big 12 Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

The Preseason WNIT features a three-game guarantee format. The event opens Nov. 11 with first-round games. Second-round games will be played Nov. 13-14 and sites will be announced following the first round results; semifinals will be Nov. 16-17; and the championship is set for Sunday, Nov. 20.  Teams that lose in the first two rounds will play consolation games on the second weekend, Nov. 18-19. All games are hosted by participating schools.

First-round schedule is listed below.

First-round Preseason WNIT games

Friday, Nov. 11, 2011

McNeese State (26-7) at UCLA (28-5), 5 p.m. ET

UAB (20-15) at Chattanooga (17-14), 7 p.m. ET

Tennessee Tech (23-8) at ETSU (19-12), 7 p.m. ET

Akron (14-16) at Notre Dame (31-8), 7 p.m. ET

Long Island (19-11) at Drexel (19-13), 7 p.m. ET

Howard (16-18) at Baylor (34-3), 7:30 p.m. ET

Detroit (13-18) at Indiana State (16-16), 8 p.m. ET

Manhattan (24-10) at Hartford (17-16), 8 p.m. ET