SEC Announces Womens Basketball Tournament Changes

The SEC announced it will add two more teams to its women's basketball tournament, expanding the field from 12 teams to 14, beginning in 2013.

The SEC recently added Texas A&M, the defending women's basketball national champions, and Missouri starting with the 2012 academic season.

The 14-team tournament will now be held over five days, instead of the previous four, which it had been with 12 teams since 1992. Seeds 11-14 will play on Wednesday, with the winners advancing to Thursday's games, continuing the tournament in the same 12-team format the conference is used to playing.

"The high profile of the tournament and the fact that it gives every institution the opportunity to play and compete for a championship was very important in the conversation about expanding the tournament," SEC Assistant Commissioner Leslie Claybrook was quoted as saying in a press release from the SEC.

"Our league is good enough to include all 14 teams and give them the opportunity to compete and win the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament."