PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Following an exciting 2008 BIG EAST Softball Championship in which six games were decided by two runs or less, four conference squads have received invitations to play in the 27th annual NCAA Softball Championship, set to begin May 16-18 on campus sites.



DePaul, USF, Notre Dame and Louisville will represent the conference in the NCAA Championship. This is the first time in the league’s 19-year history that four teams will participate in the tournament. The league had previously sent a trio of teams three times, including the 2007 season, when the Blue Demons, the Fighting Irish and the Cardinals all received bids.

Baseball (softball) is my favorite sport, so it does my good heart good to know the conference is improving in that sport. Good luck guys! On a side note, this is why I would like to see Notre Dame play at least a partial Big East schedule. In all other sports Notre Dame and the Big East are like family, but Notre Dame football just creates a huge divide in the conference.

Quote:DePaul, USF, Notre Dame and Louisville will represent the conference in the NCAA Championship. This is the first time in the league’s 19-year history that four teams will participate in the tournament. The league had previously sent a trio of teams three times, including the 2007 season, when the Blue Demons, the Fighting Irish and the Cardinals all received bids.

The new schools have added a HUGE dose of energy and credibility to the Big East. Our non-revenue sports have boosted the Big East, one of the new schools helped improve the Big East's national profile by going to a BCS game, College World Series, and Elite Eight in a one year span (take a bow Louisville), and now Softball!

Even this Louisville homer :homer: :homer: :homer: is wondering how in the heck UofL made it in with a 30-21 record.

We seemed just a little above average all year, and didn't even make the Big East Tourney Championship game on our home field.