The Fall Preview has no affiliation with the NGCA or the NCAA. It is simply a tournament the host institution puts on in the fall at the site of the NCAA Championship that is to be played that next spring. The women's event has no sponsor.
What does that mean ... simply put: the host can invite any team they like to play in the event. The host team does not even have to host the event if they choose not to.
On the men's side PING and Golfweek sponsor the event and their is criteria used to get invited. Top 10 team in the final Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings, the next best teams that finish well at NCAAs, the host school gets a spot if not already in the field and then often you will see a few sponsor's exemptions - the women do not have this and the host coach can do whatever thy like.
In the past few years, the NGCA board has provided a suggested way of inviting teams, but it is just merely a suggestion. That would be for a coach or school that does not want to set their own guidelines and wants to have something simple and easy to fall back on.
Obviously Texas A&M has decided to do what they want and they should be allowed to do that - afterall, they are using this event in place of their normal regular season event the MoMorial.
What they should have done is just keep it named that - nothing says you have to have it called Fall Preview. Teams will still come because it is the course that will be played that next spring to determine the champion.
I am not taking a side here - just trying to clear up exactly what the Fall Preview is on the women's side.
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