FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Tournament officials for the National Invitational Softball Championship have announced the teams under consideration for the 2017 debut of the event, scheduled for May 16-24.

Eight of these teams are possible hosts for the tournament; final selection of the teams will be made Sunday, May 14, after the announcement of the NCAA Tournament field.

Selections for the 48-team NISC are based on:

32 automatic qualifiers -- the highest seeded team from each conference's own regular season standings after the NCAA's selections.

The next 12 teams based on May 14's final RPI rankings.

The next four at-large teams as determined from the season's body of work.

The NISC is produced by Triple Crown Sports, which also operates the Preseason and Postseason WNIT basketball tournaments, the men's and women's Cancun Challenge basketball events in Mexico, the NCAA D-I softball event in Mexico called the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge and the new 64-team National Invitational Volleyball Championship.

ACC

Boston College
North Carolina
Syracuse
Louisville
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
NC State

America East

UMASS Lowell
Binghamton
Maine
American
Tulsa
Central Florida
Memphis
South Florida
Houston

Atlantic 10

Fordham
UMASS
Saint Joseph's
Dayton
Atlantic Sun
Kennesaw State
Lipscomb
North Florida
USC Upstate
Stetson
Florida Gulf Coast

Big 12

Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
Kansas
Texas

Big East

St. John's
DePaul
Villanova

Big Sky

Montana
Weber State
Southern Utah
Northern Colorado
Big South
Liberty
Campbell
Winthrop
Longwood

Big Ten

Nebraska
Wisconsin
Michigan State
Northwestern
Indiana

Big West

Cal Poly
CSU Fullerton
CSU Northridge
Long Beach State
Hawaii
UCSB

Colonial

Charleston
UNC Wilmington
Elon
Hofstra

Conference USA

Florida Atlantic
Florida International
LA Tech
Marshall
North Texas
Charlotte
Western Kentucky
Southern Miss

Horizon

UIC
Oakland
Wright State
Valparaiso
Youngstown State
Detroit Mercy

Ivy

Princeton
Penn
Dartmouth
Columbia
Harvard

Metro Atlantic

Iona
Manhattan
Marist
Siena

Mid-American

Ball State
Central Michigan
Ohio
Northern Illinois
Miami (OH)
Kent State

MEAC

Florida A&M
Morgan State
Hampton
Bethune-Cookman
Delaware State
Missouri Valley
Illinois State
Wichita State
Missouri State
Northern Iowa
Southern Illinois

Mountain West

Fresno State
San Diego State
Utah State
Boise State
Colorado State
San Jose State
Nevada

Northeast

St Francis (PA)
Wagner
Robert Morris
Sacred Heart
Ohio Valley
Jacksonville State
Murray State
SIUE
Belmont
Eastern Illinois
UT Martin

Pac-12

Oregon State
Stanford

Patriot

Lehigh
Army
Bucknell
Boston

SEC

Mississippi State
Mississippi
Arkansas
South Carolina
Georgia

Southern

Furman
UNC Greensboro
Mercer
ETSU
Samford

Southland

Abilene Christian
McNeese State
Nicholls State
Lamar

Summit

North Dakota State
Western Illinois
IUPUI
South Dakota
Omaha

Sun Belt

Georgia State
Texas State
UL Lafayette
South Alabama
UL Monroe
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
UT Arlington

SWAC

Alcorn State
Prairie View A&M
Alabama State
Texas Southern
Arkansas Pine Bluff

WAC

Grand Canyon
New Mexico State
Seattle
WCC
San Diego
Santa Clara
Pacific
Loyola Marymount