NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament

The NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each March, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season. The NCAA tournament was preceded by the AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament, which was held annually from 1972 to 1982. Basketball was one of 12 women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981–82 school year, as the NCAA engaged in battle with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) for sole governance of women's collegiate sports. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championship program in the same 12 (and other) sports; however, after a year of dual women's championships, the NCAA prevailed, while the AIAW disbanded.

NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament
Most recent season or competition:
2021 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament
SportBasketball
Founded1982
No. of teams68
Most recent
champion(s)
Stanford (3)
Most titlesUConn (11)
TV partner(s)ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, WatchESPN
Official websiteNCAA.com

Attendance and interest in the Women's Division I Championship have grown over the years, especially from 2003 to 2016, when the final championship game was moved to the Tuesday following the Monday men's championship game.[1] The women's championship game is the penultimate overall game of the college basketball season since 2017. From 1982 to 1990, 1996 to 2002, and since 2017 the Women's Final Four is usually played on the Friday before the Men's Final Four or the hours before the men played on the final Saturday of the tournament. The final was usually played the Sunday afternoon following the Men's Final Four; since 2017, Sunday evening.

The tournament bracket is made up of champions from each Division I conference, which receive automatic bids. The remaining slots are at-large bids, with teams chosen by an NCAA selection committee. The selection process and tournament seedings are based on several factors, including team rankings, win-loss records, and NET data.

Starting in 2022, the women's tournament will feature the same 68-team bracket as the men's tournament, with its own set of "play-in" games.[2] This in turn means there are 36 at-large bids. From 2014 to 2021, the women's tournament featured 64 teams, with no "play-in" games. The women's tournament, like the men's, is staged in a single elimination format and is part of the media and public frenzy known colloquially as March Madness or The Big Dance.

Both 2020 men's and women's tournaments were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]

In 2021, the entire tournament was played in Texas, with most games, including the Final Four, in San Antonio; some games were played in Austin and San Marcos.[4]

Tournament format

Starting in 2022, a total of 68 teams qualify for the tournament played in March and April. Of these teams, 32 earn automatic bids by winning their respective conference tournaments. Since 2017 the Ivy League conducts its own post-season tournament. The remaining teams are granted "at-large" bids, which are extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. Dr. Marilyn McNeil, vice president/director of athletics at Monmouth University is the current chairwoman. On March 1, 2011, Bowling Green State University's director of intercollegiate athletics, Greg Christopher, was appointed chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee during the 2011–12 academic year.[5]

The tournament begins with four opening-round games known as the First Four.[2] Like the men's version, the women's First Four will involve the four lowest-ranked conference champions playing for 16 seeds in the round of 64, and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams playing for their own spots in the round of 64.

The tournament is split into four regional tournaments, and each regional has teams seeded from 1 to 16, with the committee ostensibly making every region as comparable to the others as possible. The top-seeded team in each region plays the #16 team, the #2 team plays the #15, etc. (meaning where the two seeds add up to 17, that team will be assigned to play another).

Number of teams, and seeding

The first NCAA women's basketball tournament was held in 1982. The AIAW also held a basketball tournament in 1982, but most of the top teams, including defending AIAW champion Louisiana Tech, decided to participate in the NCAA tournament.

The championship consisted of 32 teams from 1982 to 1985 (in 1983, 36), 40 teams from 1986 to 1988, and 48 teams from 1989 to 1993. From 1994 to 2021, 64 teams competed in each tournament. From 2022, the tournament will involve 68 teams, matching the size of the D-I men's tournament.

Prior to 1996, seeding was conducted on a regional basis. The top teams (eight in the 32-, 40-, and 48-team formats, and 16 in the 64-team format) were ranked and seeded on a national basis. The remaining teams were then seeded based on their geographic region. Teams were moved outside of its geographic region only if it was necessary to balance the bracket, or if the proximity of an opponent outside of its region would be comparable and a more competitive game would result. In 1993, all teams except for the top four were explicitly unseeded. The regional seeding resumed in 1994. In 1996, seeds were assigned on a national basis using an "S-Curve" format similar to the process used in selecting the field for the men's tournament.

The following table summarizes some of the key attributes of the seeding process:[6]

  Number of teams selected    
Year Automatic At-Large Total Location of first round(s) Seeding Basis
1982 12 20 32 Higher seed Regional
1983 14 22 36 Higher seed†
1984 17 15 32
1985 18 14 Higher seed
1986 17 23 40 Higher seed†
1987 18 22
1988
1989 19 29 48
1990 21 27
1991
1992 22 26
1993 23 25
1994 32 32 64
1995
1996 31 33 Higher seed National
1997 30 34 Higher seed†
1998 Higher seed
1999
2000 Higher seed†
2001 31 33
2002 Higher seed
2003 16 Sites‡
2004
2005 8 Sites‡
2006
2007
2008
2009 16 Sites‡
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014 32
2015 Higher seed†
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022 32 36 68

† Some exceptions. Due to venue availability, in some cases, the lower seed hosted, or the game was played at a neutral site.
‡ From 2003 to 2014, sixteen predetermined sites were selected for first and second-round games. Teams were allowed to play at home, if hosting.
Between 2005 and 2008, eight sites were used for first-round games.

Selection process

A special selection committee appointed by the NCAA determines which 68 teams will enter the tournament, and where they will be seeded and placed in the bracket. Because of the automatic bids, only 36 teams (the at-large bids) rely on the selection committee to secure them a spot in the tournament.

Women's NCAA Division I basketball champions

Year Winner Score Opponent Venue Other Semifinalists
1982 Louisiana Tech
(1, 1–0)
76–62 Cheyney State
(1, 0–1)
Norfolk Scope (Norfolk, Virginia) Tennessee & Maryland
1983 USC
(1, 1–0)
69–67 Louisiana Tech
(2, 1–1)
Old Dominion & Georgia
1984 USC
(2, 2–0)
72–61 Tennessee
(1, 0–1)
Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles, California) Cheyney State & Louisiana Tech
1985 Old Dominion
(1, 1–0)
70–65 Georgia
(1, 0–1)
Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas) Western Kentucky & Northeast Louisiana[lower-alpha 1]
1986 Texas
(1, 1–0)
97–81 USC
(3, 2–1)
Rupp Arena (Lexington, Kentucky) Western Kentucky & Tennessee
1987 Tennessee
(2, 1–1)
67–44 Louisiana Tech
(3, 1–2)
Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas) Texas & Long Beach State
1988 Louisiana Tech
(4, 2–2)
56–54 Auburn
(1, 0–1)
Tacoma Dome (Tacoma, Washington) Long Beach State & Tennessee
1989 Tennessee
(3, 2–1)
76–60 Auburn
(2, 0–2)
Louisiana Tech & Maryland
1990 Stanford
(1, 1–0)
88–81 Auburn
(3, 0–3)
Thompson–Boling Arena (Knoxville, Tennessee) Virginia & Louisiana Tech
1991 Tennessee
(4, 3–1)
70–67 (OT) Virginia
(1, 0–1)
Lakefront Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana) Connecticut[lower-alpha 2] & Stanford
1992 Stanford
(2, 2–0)
78–62 Western Kentucky
(1, 0–1)
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (Los Angeles, California) Southwest Missouri State[lower-alpha 3] & Virginia
1993 Texas Tech
(1, 1–0)
84–82 Ohio State
(1, 0–1)
Omni Coliseum (Atlanta, Georgia) Iowa & Vanderbilt
1994 North Carolina
(1, 1–0)
60–59 Louisiana Tech
(5, 2–3)
Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) Purdue & Alabama
1995 Connecticut[lower-alpha 2]
(1, 1–0)
70–64 Tennessee
(5, 3–2)
Target Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Stanford & Georgia
1996 Tennessee
(6, 4–2)
83–65 Georgia
(2, 0–2)
Charlotte Coliseum (Charlotte, North Carolina) Connecticut[lower-alpha 2] & Stanford
1997 Tennessee
(7, 5–2)
68–59 Old Dominion
(2, 1–1)
Riverfront Coliseum (Cincinnati, Ohio) Notre Dame & Stanford
1998 Tennessee
(8, 6–2)
93–75 Louisiana Tech
(6, 2–4)
Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri) Arkansas & NC State
1999 Purdue
(1, 1–0)
62–45 Duke
(1, 0–1)
San Jose Arena (San Jose, California) Louisiana Tech & Georgia
2000 Connecticut[lower-alpha 2]
(2, 2–0)
71–52 Tennessee
(9, 6–3)
First Union Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Rutgers & Penn State
2001 Notre Dame
(1, 1–0)
68–66 Purdue
(2, 1–1)
Savvis Center (St. Louis, Missouri) Connecticut[lower-alpha 2] & Southwest Missouri State[lower-alpha 3]
2002 Connecticut[lower-alpha 2]
(3, 3–0)
82–70 Oklahoma
(1, 0–1)
Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas) Tennessee & Duke
2003 Connecticut[lower-alpha 2]
(4, 4–0)
73–68 Tennessee
(10, 6–4)
Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Georgia) Texas & Duke
2004 Connecticut[lower-alpha 2]
(5, 5–0)
70–61 Tennessee
(11, 6–5)
New Orleans Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana) Minnesota & LSU
2005 Baylor
(1, 1–0)
84–62 Michigan State
(1, 0–1)
RCA Dome (Indianapolis, Indiana) LSU & Tennessee
2006 Maryland
(1, 1–0)
78–75 (OT) Duke
(2, 0–2)
TD Banknorth Garden (Boston, Massachusetts) North Carolina & LSU
2007 Tennessee
(12, 7–5)
59–46 Rutgers
(1, 0–1)
Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio)
2008 Tennessee
(13, 8–5)
64–48 Stanford
(3, 2–1)
St. Pete Times Forum (Tampa, Florida) LSU & Connecticut
2009 Connecticut[lower-alpha 2]
(6, 6–0)
76–54 Louisville
(1, 0–1)
Scottrade Center (St. Louis, Missouri) Stanford & Oklahoma
2010 Connecticut[lower-alpha 2]
(7, 7–0)
53–47 Stanford
(4, 2–2)
Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas) Baylor & Oklahoma
2011 Texas A&M
(1, 1–0)
76–70 Notre Dame
(2, 1–1)
Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana) Connecticut & Stanford
2012 Baylor
(2, 2–0)
80–61 Notre Dame
(3, 1–2)
Pepsi Center (Denver, Colorado) Stanford & Connecticut
2013 Connecticut[lower-alpha 2]
(8, 8–0)
93–60 Louisville
(2, 0–2)
New Orleans Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana) Notre Dame & California
2014 UConn
(9, 9–0)
79–58 Notre Dame
(4, 1–3)
Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee) Stanford & Maryland
2015 UConn
(10, 10–0)
63–53 Notre Dame
(5, 1–4)
Amalie Arena (Tampa, Florida) South Carolina & Maryland
2016 UConn
(11, 11–0)
82–51 Syracuse
(1, 0–1)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana) Oregon State & Washington
2017 South Carolina
(1, 1–0)
67–55 Mississippi State
(1, 0–1)
American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas) UConn & Stanford
2018 Notre Dame
(6, 2–4)
61–58 Mississippi State
(2, 0–2)
Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio) UConn & Louisville
2019 Baylor
(3, 3–0)
82–81 Notre Dame
(7, 2–5)
Amalie Arena (Tampa, Florida) UConn & Oregon
2020 Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak
2021 Stanford
(5, 3–2)
54–53 Arizona
(1, 0–1)
Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas) UConn & South Carolina
2022 Target Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
2023 American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas)
2024 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Cleveland, Ohio)
2025 Amalie Arena (Tampa, Florida)
2026 Footprint Center (Phoenix, Arizona)
  1. Known as Louisiana–Monroe since 1999–2000; alternately branded athletically as ULM.
  2. Branded athletically as "UConn" since the 2013–14 season.
  3. Known as Missouri State since 2005–06.

Team titles

Baylor
UConn
Louisiana Tech
Maryland
North
Carolina
Notre
Dame
Old Dominion
Purdue
South
Carolina
Stanford
Tennessee
Texas
Texas
A&M
Texas
Tech
USC
Schools who have won the NCAA Championship
– 11 championships
– 8 championships
– 3 championships
– 2 championships
– 1 championship
Team Titles Year Won
UConn 11 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Tennessee 8 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008
Baylor 3 2005, 2012, 2019
Stanford 3 1990, 1992, 2021
Louisiana Tech 2 1982, 1988
Notre Dame 2 2001, 2018
USC 2 1983, 1984
Maryland 1 2006
North Carolina 1 1994
Old Dominion 1 1985
Purdue 1 1999
South Carolina 1 2017
Texas 1 1986
Texas A&M 1 2011
Texas Tech 1 1993

NCAA Final Fours by school

School Final Four Years Number of Appearances Championships
UConn 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 21 11
Tennessee 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 18 8
Stanford 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2021 14 3
Louisiana Tech 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1998, 1999 10 2
Notre Dame 1997, 2001, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 9 2
Georgia 1983, 1985, 1995, 1996, 1999 5 0
LSU 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 5 0
Maryland 1982, 1989, 2006, 2014, 2015 5 1
Baylor 2005, 2010, 2012, 2019 4 3
Duke 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006 4 0
Auburn 1988, 1989, 1990 3 0
Louisville 2009, 2013, 2018 3 0
North Carolina 1994, 2006, 2007 3 1
Oklahoma 2002, 2009, 2010 3 0
Old Dominion 1983, 1985, 1997 3 1
Purdue 1994, 1999, 2001 3 1
South Carolina 2015, 2017, 2021 3 1
Texas 1986, 1987, 2003 3 1
USC 1983, 1984, 1986 3 2
Virginia 1990, 1991, 1992 3 0
Western Kentucky 1985, 1986, 1992 3 0
Cheyney 1982, 1984 2 0
Long Beach State 1987, 1988 2 0
Mississippi State 2017, 2018 2 0
Missouri State 1992, 2001 2 0
Rutgers 2000, 2007 2 0
Alabama 1994 1 0
Arizona 2021 1 0
Arkansas 1998 1 0
California 2013 1 0
Iowa 1993 1 0
Louisiana–Monroe 1985 1 0
Michigan State 2005 1 0
Minnesota 2004 1 0
NC State 1998 1 0
Ohio State 1993 1 0
Oregon 2019 1 0
Oregon State 2016 1 0
Penn State 2000 1 0
Syracuse 2016 1 0
Texas A&M 2011 1 1
Texas Tech 1993 1 1
Vanderbilt 1993 1 0
Washington 2016 1 0

Multiple NCAA championship coaches

Coach School Championships
Geno Auriemma UConn 11
Pat Summitt Tennessee 8
Kim Mulkey Baylor 3
Tara VanDerveer Stanford
Muffet McGraw Notre Dame 2
Linda Sharp USC

NCAA Championship by Conference

Note: Conferences are listed by all champions' affiliations at that time; these do not necessarily match current affiliations.

Conference Year Championships
Big East[a 1] 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013 9
Southeastern 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008, 2017
Pac-12[a 2] 1983, 1984, 1990, 1992, 2021 5
Big 12 2005, 2011, 2012, 2019 4
American Athletic 2014, 2015, 2016 3
Atlantic Coast 1994, 2006, 2018
Southwest 1986, 1993 2
Western Collegiate 1983, 1984
American South 1988 1
Big Ten 1999
Independent 1982
Sun Belt 1985
  1. The Big East Conference operated in its original form from 1979 until 2013. During that time, UConn won eight championships, and Notre Dame won one. Following the three-way 2013 split of that conference and subsequent settlement between the non-FBS schools and the remaining schools, the conference legally changed its name to the American Athletic Conference. Three schools (among them Notre Dame) left for the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013, with a fourth doing the same in 2014; one school left for the Big Ten in 2014; and the non-FBS schools retained the Big East name. However, the current Big East now maintains the history of the original conference in all sports that it sponsors, including women's basketball. The American no longer claims any of the original Big East's competitive history, though legally it does even in the two sports that it sponsors and the current Big East does not (football and women's rowing).
  2. Known as the Pacific-10 Conference, or Pac-10, when its first 4 titles were won.

NCAA Final Four locations

  • 1982 – Norfolk, Virginia
  • 1983 – Norfolk, Virginia
  • 1984 – Los Angeles, California
  • 1985 – Austin, Texas
  • 1986 – Lexington, Kentucky
  • 1987 – Austin, Texas
  • 1988 – Tacoma, Washington
  • 1989 – Tacoma, Washington
  • 1990 – Knoxville, Tennessee
  • 1991 – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1992 – Los Angeles, California
  • 1993 – Atlanta, Georgia
  • 1994 – Richmond, Virginia
  • 1995 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • 1996 – Charlotte, North Carolina
  • 1997 – Cincinnati, Ohio
  • 1998 – Kansas City, Missouri
  • 1999 – San Jose, California
  • 2000 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • 2001 – St. Louis, Missouri
  • 2002 – San Antonio, Texas
  • 2003 – Atlanta, Georgia
  • 2004 – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2005 – Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 2006 – Boston, Massachusetts
  • 2007 – Cleveland, Ohio
  • 2008 – Tampa Bay, Florida
  • 2009 – St. Louis, Missouri
  • 2010 – San Antonio, Texas
  • 2011 – Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 2012 – Denver, Colorado
  • 2013 – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2014 – Nashville, Tennessee
  • 2015 – Tampa Bay, Florida
  • 2016 – Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 2017 – Dallas, Texas
  • 2018 – Columbus, Ohio
  • 2019 – Tampa Bay, Florida
  • 2020 – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2021 – San Antonio, Texas
  • 2022 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • 2023 – Dallas, Texas
  • 2024 – Cleveland, Ohio
  • 2025 – Tampa Bay, Florida
  • 2026 – Phoenix, Arizona
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NCAA Final Four locations (hover over city to see arena)

Top-ranked teams

Since the women's tournament began in 1982, 17 teams have entered the tournament ranked #1 in at least 1 poll and gone on to win the tournament:

  • 1982: Louisiana Tech
  • 1983: USC
  • 1986: Texas
  • 1989: Tennessee
  • 1995: UConn
  • 1998: Tennessee
  • 1999: Purdue
  • 2000: UConn
  • 2002: UConn
  • 2003: UConn
  • 2009: UConn
  • 2010: UConn
  • 2012: Baylor
  • 2014: UConn
  • 2015: UConn
  • 2016: UConn
  • 2019: Baylor
  • 2021: Stanford

Champions excluded the next year

Only once has the reigning champion (the previous year's winner) not made it to the tournament the next year.

#1 seeds

Since 1982, at least one #1 seed has made the Final Four every year.

Under coach Geno Auriemma, Connecticut has been seeded #1 a record 22 times. Tennessee is second with 21 #1 seeds.

All four #1 seeds have made it to the Final Four 4 times (champion in bold):

  • 1989 Auburn, Louisiana Tech, Maryland, Tennessee
  • 2012 Baylor, UConn, Notre Dame, Stanford
  • 2015 UConn, Maryland, Notre Dame, South Carolina
  • 2018 UConn, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Louisville

The championship game has matched two #1 seeds 14 times:

  • 1983 USC beat Louisiana Tech
  • 1986 Texas beat USC
  • 1989 Tennessee beat Auburn
  • 1991 Tennessee beat Virginia
  • 1995 UConn beat Tennessee
  • 2000 UConn beat Tennessee
  • 2002 UConn beat Oklahoma
  • 2003 UConn beat Tennessee
  • 2010 UConn beat Stanford
  • 2012 Baylor beat Notre Dame
  • 2014 UConn beat Notre Dame
  • 2015 UConn beat Notre Dame
  • 2018 Notre Dame beat Mississippi State
  • 2019 Baylor beat Notre Dame

Three teams have beaten three #1 seeds during the course of a tournament (the largest number of such teams that can be faced) (all three teams won the national championship as beating a 3rd #1 seed in a single tournament can only happen in the finals):

  • 1987 Tennessee (beat Auburn, Long Beach State, Louisiana Tech)
  • 1988 Louisiana Tech (beat Auburn, Tennessee, Texas)
  • 2005 Baylor (beat LSU, Michigan State, North Carolina)

Prior to the expansion of the tournament to 64 teams, all four #1 seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with three exceptions. Notably, the first two times this occurred were at the hands of the same school:

  • 1986 East #1 seed Virginia lost to #8 seed James Madison
  • 1991 East #1 seed Penn State lost to #8 seed James Madison
  • 1992 Midwest #1 seed Iowa lost to #8 seed Southwest Missouri State

High seeds

  • 1999 was the first time in tournament history (since the expansion to 64 teams) that all top seeds (1, 2, 3, and 4 seeds) made it to the Sweet Sixteen.

Low seeds

Lowest seeds to reach each round since the expansion to 64 teams:

  • Second Round: #16 seed[7]
    • Harvard in 1998 (the only #16 seed to beat a #1 seed in either the women's or men's tournament until 2018, and still the only one to do so in the women's tournament)
  • Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen): #13 seed[7]
  • Regional Finals (Elite Eight): #11 seed
  • National Semifinals (Final Four): #9 seed[7]
  • National Finals (Championship Game): #5 seed
  • National Champion: #3 seed[7]
    • North Carolina in 1994
    • Tennessee in 1997

Best Performances by #14 & #15 Seeds

Unlike in the men's tournament, no #14 seed has beaten a #3 and no #15 seed has beaten a #2 seed, but they have come close.

  • 2 points: #14 Seed
    • Austin Peay lost to UNC in 2003 (2 points, 72–70)
    • Eastern Michigan lost to Boston College in 2004 (2 points, 58–56)
    • Creighton lost to St. John's in 2012 (2 points, 69–67)
  • Overtime games: #15 Seed
    • UTSA lost to Baylor in 2009 (5 points, 87–82). UTSA is the only #15 seed to take a game into overtime.
  • 1 point: #15 Seed
    • Long Beach State lost to Oregon State in 2017 (1 point, 56–55)

First-round games

Since the expansion to 64 teams in 1994, each seed-pairing has played 108 first-round games with these results:

  1. The #1 seed is 107–1 against the #16 seed (.991).
  2. The #2 & #3 seeds are 108–0 against the #15 & #14 seeds, respectively (1.000).
  3. The #4 seed is 101–7 against the #13 seed (.935).
  4. The #5 seed is 85–23 against the #12 seed (.787).
  5. The #6 seed is 75–33 against the #11 seed (.694).
  6. The #7 seed is 71–37 against the #10 seed (.657).
  7. The #8 seed is 53–55 against the #9 seed (.491).

Second-round games

Since the expansion to 64 teams in 1994, the following results have occurred for each pairing:

  • In the 1/16/8/9 bracket:
vs. #8 vs. #9
#1 48–1 (.980) 52–2 (.963)
#16 0–1 (.000)

note: The 3 losses by the #1 seed vs #8/9 were: Duke (vs Michigan St, 2009), Ohio St (vs Boston College, 2006), Texas Tech (vs Notre Dame, 1998).
note: The #9 vs. #16 game was Arkansas over Harvard in 1998.

  • In the 2/15/7/10 bracket:
vs. #7 vs. #10
#2 49–13 (.790) 31–3 (.912)
#15
  • In the 3/14/6/11 bracket:
vs. #6 vs. #11
#3 45–22 (.672) 17–12 (.586)
#14
  • In the 4/13/5/12 bracket:
vs. #5 vs. #12
#4 42–27 (.609) 18–3 (.857)
#13 3–3 (.500)

Teams entering the tournament unbeaten

Of the 18 teams who have entered the tournament unbeaten, 9 went on to win the National Championship.[8]

One exception is Cal Baptist, who was excluded from the 2021 tournament as a transitional Division I member, despite a 24–0 record.

  • In 1986, Texas entered the tournament 30–0, beat USC for the national title, and ended the season 34–0.
  • In 1990, Louisiana Tech entered the tournament 29–0, but lost in the Final Four to Auburn.
  • In 1992, Vermont entered the tournament 29–0, but lost in the first round to George Washington.
  • In 1993, Vermont entered the tournament 28–0, but lost in the first round to Rutgers.
  • In 1995, UConn entered the tournament 29–0, beat Tennessee for the national title, and ended the season 35–0.
  • In 1997, UConn entered the tournament 30–0, but lost in the Midwest Regional Final to Tennessee.
  • In 1998, Tennessee (33–0) and Liberty (28–0) both entered the tournament unbeaten; Liberty lost in the first round to Tennessee, which went on to beat Louisiana Tech for the national title and ended the season 39–0.
  • In 2002, 2009, and 2010, UConn entered the tournament 33–0, won the national title in each, and ended those seasons 39–0. They respectively beat Oklahoma, Louisville, and Stanford in those championship games.
  • In 2012, Baylor entered the tournament 34–0, beat Notre Dame for the national title, and ended the season 40–0. The Lady Bears became the first team in NCAA college basketball history, for either women or men, to win 40 games in a season. Notably, Louisiana Tech went 40–5 during the 1979–80 season. This was during the AIAW era for women's basketball.
  • In 2014, UConn (34–0) and Notre Dame (32–0) both entered the tournament unbeaten; UConn beat Notre Dame 79–58 for the national title, ended the season 40–0 and is the 8th team to end the season unbeaten.
  • In 2015, Princeton entered the tournament 30–0, but lost in the second round to Maryland.
  • In 2016, UConn entered the tournament 32–0, beat Syracuse for the national title, ending the season 38–0.
  • In 2017, UConn entered the tournament 32–0, but lost in the Final Four to Mississippi State, ending their 111-game winning streak to finish 36–1.
  • In 2018, UConn entered the tournament 32–0, but lost in the Final Four to Notre Dame, ending their 36-game winning streak to finish 36–1.

Undefeated teams not in the tournament

The NCAA tournament has undergone dramatic expansion since its first edition in 1982, and only one unbeaten team has failed to qualify for the tournament—California Baptist in 2021, which was 24–0 after winning the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.[9] As, by definition, a team would have to win its conference tournament, and thus secure an automatic bid to the tournament, to be undefeated in a season, the only way a team could finish undefeated and not reach the tournament is if the team is banned from postseason play. (Other possibilities are that the team is independent, or is from a conference not yet eligible for an automatic bid.) Postseason bans can come about for one of two reasons:

  • The team is serving a postseason ban due to NCAA sanctions.
  • The team is transitioning from a lower NCAA division, during which time it is barred by NCAA rule from participation in NCAA-sponsored postseason play. This is the case for California Baptist, which began a transition from Division II in 2018 and thus cannot play in the NCAA tournament until 2023.

California Baptist was eligible for the WNIT because that tournament is not operated by the NCAA, unlike the men's version; the Lancers lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Rice.

Home state

Only one team has ever played the Final Four on its home court. Two other teams have played the Final Four in their home cities, and seven others have played the Final Four in their home states.

The only team to play on its home court was Texas in 1987, which lost its semifinal game at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center.

Old Dominion enjoyed nearly as large an advantage in 1983 when the Final Four was played at the Norfolk Scope in its home city of Norfolk, Virginia, but also lost its semifinal. The Scope has never been the Lady Monarchs' regular home court. ODU has always used on-campus arenas, first the ODU Fieldhouse and since 2002 Chartway Arena. The following year, USC won the national title at Pauley Pavilion, the home court of its Los Angeles arch-rival UCLA.

Of the other teams to play in their home states, Stanford (1992) won the national title; Notre Dame (2011) lost in the championship game; and Western Kentucky (1986), Penn State (2000), Missouri State (2001), LSU (2004), and Baylor (2010) lost in the semifinals.

Championship margins

  • Overtime games in a championship game:[10]
    • Tennessee 70, Virginia 67/OT (1991)
    • Maryland 78, Duke 75/OT (2006)
  • Smallest margin of victory in a championship game: 1 point[11]
    • North Carolina 60, Louisiana Tech 59 (1994)
    • Baylor 82, Notre Dame 81 (2019)
    • Stanford 54, Arizona 53 (2021)
  • Biggest margin of victory in a championship game: 33 points[11]
    • UConn 93, Louisville 60 (2013)
  • Margin of 10 points: Louisiana Tech (1982), Tennessee (1987 & 1989), Purdue (1999), UConn (2000, 2002, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016), and Baylor (2012) are teams to win every game in the tournament by 10 points or more on their way to a championship. The 2016 UConn team won every game by more than 20 points.
  • Top 9 largest point differentials accumulated over the entire tournament by tournament champion. Notably, Louisiana Tech's differential is prior to the expansion of 64 teams and the addition of one more round of play.
    • 2016 UConn (+239)
    • 2010 UConn (+214)
    • 2013 UConn (+208)
    • 2015 UConn (+197)
    • 2000 UConn (+187)
    • 2002 UConn (+161)
    • 2019 Baylor (+159)
    • 1982 Louisiana Tech (+158)
    • 2014 UConn (+156)

Same-conference championship games

7 championship games have featured two teams from the same conference (winner listed first and bolded):

  • 1989 SEC, Tennessee and Auburn
  • 1996 SEC, Tennessee and Georgia
  • 2006 ACC, Maryland and Duke
  • 2009 Big East, UConn and Louisville
  • 2013 Big East, UConn and Louisville
  • 2017 SEC, South Carolina and Mississippi State
  • 2021 Pac-12, Stanford and Arizona

Result by school and by year

283 teams have appeared in the NCAA Tournament in at least one year starting with 1982 (the initial year that the post-season tournament was under the auspices of the NCAA). The results for all years are shown in this table below.[12]

The code in each cell represents the furthest the team made it in the respective tournament:

  •    Round of 64 (Fewer than 64 teams invited before 1994.)
  •  32  Round of 32
  •  S16  Sweet Sixteen
  •  E8  Elite Eight
  •  F4  Final Four
  •  RU  National Runner-up
  •  CH  National Champion
APP 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
SchoolX
Tennessee39F4E8RUS16F4CHF4CHE8CHS16E8S16RUCHCHCHE8RUS16F4RURUF4E8CHCHS16E8E8E8S16E8E8323232
Stanford3432S16E8CHF4CHS16E8F4F4F43232S1632E8E8E832RUF4RUF4F4S16F4S16E8F4S16E8CH
Georgia3432F4E8RUS16S16S163232E832F4RUE8F4E832S16E8S16S16S1632S16S16E83232
Texas33E8E8S16CHF4E8E8E83232323232S16F4S16323232S16E8S16S16E8
UConn3232F432E8CHF4E8E8S16CHF4CHCHCHS16E8E8F4CHCHF4F4CHCHCHCHF4F4F4F4
Maryland28F4S163232E8F432E8323232CH32E8E832E8S16F4F432S163232S16
North Carolina2832S1632S163232S16CHS16S16E8S16S16S1632E8F4F4E832S1632E8S16
Louisiana Tech27CHRUF4E8E8RUCHF4F4E8RUS16E8S16RUF4E8E8S16S16
Vanderbilt273232S16S16E8F4S16S16E8S1632E8E832S16S163232S16S16323232
Iowa2732E8E8S16323232F432S1632323232323232S16E8S16
Notre Dame2632F4S1632S16CH32S16S163232S16S16RURUF4RURUS16E8CHRU
Purdue2632S1632S16F4E832E8CH32RU32E8S1632S16E832E83232323232
LSU26S16E832S1632S16S16E83232E8F4F4F4F4F4323232S16S16
Rutgers26E8E8S16323232S16E8F43232E8S16RUE8S163232
North Carolina State26S1632S16S1632S16S16S16S16S1632F432S16S1632S16S16S16
Old Dominion25S16F4E8CHS163232323232S16RUS16S16S16E8S16
Virginia25323232S16E8S16F4RUF4E8S16E8E8S1632S163232323232
Ohio State253232E8S16E8S16S1632RU323232S1632S1632S1632S16S1632
Penn State25S16E832S16S1632323232S1632E832S1632F4S16S16E832S1632S16
Duke2432323232E8RUS16S16F4F4E8E8RUS16S1632E8E8E8E832S1632S16
DePaul243232323232S16S1632S1632S163232
Louisville23323232323232S16RUS1632RUE8S1632S16F4E8E8
Auburn2132S16S16S16E8RURURUE8S1632E8323232323232
Oklahoma21S1632S16S16RU32S16S1632F4F4S1632S16323232
Montana21S16323232323232
Texas Tech203232S16CHS16E8S163232S16E8S16S16E832S16
Western Kentucky20F4F43232S16RUS1632S163232
Washington19323232S1632E8S163232S16E832F4S16
Baylor1932S16CHS163232S16F4E8CHS16E8E8E8E8S16CHE8
Florida State193232323232S163232E8323232E8S16E83232
Iowa State1932E8S16S16323232E8S16323232
Middle Tennessee1932323232323232
Stephen F. Austin19323232S16S1632S16S16S163232
George Washington18323232S1632E83232323232S16S16
Green Bay18323232S1632
Michigan State1832323232RUS1632S16323232323232
Ole Miss1732S16S16E8E8S16S16E8S16E832E8
Arizona State17S16S1632S1632E832E832S16323232S16
Utah173232S163232E832
Liberty17S16
South Carolina17S1632S16E832S1632S16F4S16CHE8S16F4
Texas A&M17S1632E8S1632CHS1632E83232S16S16S16
UCLA1732S16S1632E832323232S16S16E8S1632
USC16E8CHCHS16RUS16S1632E8S16E8323232
Clemson163232S16S16E83232323232S16323232
Kansas State16E8S1632S163232323232323232
Missouri State1632F4S16323232F4S16S16
Kentucky16E8323232E832E8E8S1632S16323232
Oregon1632323232323232E8E8F4S16
Oklahoma State1632S1632S163232S163232
Florida153232E8S163232323232
Chattanooga1532
California143232S1632F432323232
Nebraska1432323232S16S1632
Miami (FL)14S16323232323232
UC Santa Barbara143232323232S16
BYU143232S1632S16323232
Colorado133232E8S16E832S1632E8S16
Drake13E8323232S16
Kansas13323232S1632S1632S16S16
Missouri13S1632323232S16323232
Saint Joseph's13323232323232323232
West Virginia1332S16323232323232323232
Marquette13323232323232
Long Beach State12S16E8E8E8S16F4F4E832S16
James Madison12S16S16S1632S1632
Holy Cross123232
Saint Francis (PA)12
Syracuse1232323232RU323232
Oregon State12S1632323232F4S16E8S1632
Arkansas12E8S1632F43232323232
Gonzaga1232S16E8S16S1632
Mississippi State1132323232S1632S16RURUE8
Villanova1132323232E83232
Bowling Green1132S16
Temple113232323232
Tulane11323232
Alabama11S163232F4S16S16S16S163232
Marist11S16323232
Minnesota103232S16F4S163232
Xavier1032E8E832
St. John's10323232323232S1632
Tennessee Tech103232323232
Virginia Tech103232S163232323232
TCU103232323232
South Dakota State103232S16
San Diego State9S16S163232S16
Georgia Tech9323232S16S16
Maine932
Hampton9
Michigan93232323232S16
Dayton83232E8
Illinois8323232S16S163232
UNLV8323232S163232
Southern Miss83232S1632
New Mexico8S1632
Toledo8323232
Princeton832
Arizona832S16323232RU
Northwestern8323232323232
Boston College73232S16S1632S16
Memphis7S16323232
Creighton73232323232
SMU7323232
Wisconsin73232
Saint Peter's732
Dartmouth7
Austin Peay7
Fresno State7
Indiana7S163232E8
South Florida732323232
Florida Gulf Coast73232
Colorado State63232S1632
Florida International6323232
Hartford63232
Little Rock63232
Harvard632
Albany632
Hawaii632
New Mexico State632
Santa Clara632
Vermont632
Oral Roberts6
Boise State6
Grambling6
Prairie View A&M6
Robert Morris6
Central Michigan63232S16
UCF6
Belmont632
Providence5S1632
Quinnipiac5S1632
Illinois State5323232
Houston53232
Kent State53232
Northern Illinois53232
Howard532
Penn5
Northwestern State5
Southern5
Jackson State532
North Carolina A&T5
Georgetown4S1632S1632
Pittsburgh432S16S1632
Southern Illinois432S1632
Seton Hall4S1632
Delaware432S16
San Francisco4S16
Cincinnati432
La Salle432
Idaho432
Appalachian State4
Bucknell4
Cal State Northridge4
Fairfield4
Manhattan4
Pepperdine4
Portland4
Radford4
UT Martin4
Idaho State4
Troy4
Lehigh4
Cheyney[lower-alpha 1]3RUS16F4
Louisiana–Monroe332S16F4
Buffalo3S1632
Rice332
Youngstown State332
Fordham3
Richmond3
Wichita State3
Alabama State3
Alcorn State3
Army3
Coppin State3
East Tennessee State3
Georgia State3
Navy3
Ohio3
Sacred Heart3
San Diego3
Stetson3
Tennessee State3
UC Riverside3
UNC Asheville3
South Dakota3
Mercer3
Mount St. Mary's3
UC Davis3
Wright State332
Lamar2E8
St. Bonaventure2S1632
UAB2S16
East Carolina232
Tulsa232
UTEP232
Cal State Fullerton232
Saint Mary's232
Western Michigan232
Charlotte2
Massachusetts2
UTSA2
Western Illinois2
American2
Central Arkansas2
Cleveland State2
Eastern Kentucky2
Eastern Michigan2
Elon2
Evansville2
Florida A&M2
Furman2
Georgia Southern2
Loyola (MD)2
McNeese State2
Milwaukee2
Montana State2
Northern Iowa2
Oakland2
Portland State2
Samford2
Southeast Missouri State2
Texas State2
Texas–Arlington2
Valparaiso2
Weber State2
Western Carolina2
Wake Forest232
Washington State2
VCU2
Wyoming2
Drexel2
Monmouth132
South Carolina State132
New Orleans132
Ball State132
Duquesne132
North Texas1
Eastern Washington1
South Alabama1
Eastern Illinois1
Brown1
UC Irvine1
Butler1
Rhode Island1
Marshall1
Detroit Mercy1
UNC Greensboro1
Northeastern1
Campbell1
Denver1
LIU[lower-alpha 2]1
Siena1
Norfolk State1
Boston University1
Colgate1
Lipscomb1
Loyola Marymount1
Canisius1
Florida Atlantic1
Northern Arizona1
Delaware State1
Louisiana1
UMBC1
Cornell1
Miami (OH)1
Murray State1
Gardner–Webb1
Cal Poly1
North Dakota1
Akron1
Winthrop1
Savannah State[lower-alpha 1]1
St. Francis Brooklyn1
Iona1
Jacksonville1
Texas Southern1
Nicholls1
Northern Colorado1
Seattle1
Abilene Christian1
Bethune–Cookman1
Towson1
Bradley1
High Point1
Stony Brook1
Utah Valley1
Notes
  1. No longer a member of NCAA Division I (as of 2019–20).
  2. Following the 2019 merger of the LIU Brooklyn and LIU Post athletic programs into a single LIU program, the new program inherited the athletic history of LIU Brooklyn.

Television coverage and revenues

Broadcast rights to the NCAA women's basketball tournament are included in a larger package covering the majority of Division I national championships outside of men's basketball.[13] ESPN has held exclusive rights to the tournament since 1996; beginning with an 11-year, $200 million contract renewal in 2003, ESPN would televise all 63 games in the tournament on television (increasing from 23), with games in the first and second rounds airing regionally on ESPN and ESPN2. Out-of-market games were carried via pay-per-view.[14] Coverage later expanded to include ESPN's college sports-oriented network ESPNU, and ESPN360 for streaming.[15] In 2011, ESPN renewed this agreement through the 2023–24 season, in a deal reported to be worth $500 million in total (also adding international rights to the men's tournament for ESPN International).[16]

In the first two rounds, one channel (typically ESPN or ESPN2's high definition feed) typically aired "whiparound" coverage during each window, carrying rolling coverage of all games in progress. ESPN's standard definition channels were used to broadcast games on a regional basis, while games could also be viewed in their entirety on ESPN3 or alternate channels.[15] In 2021, ESPN adopted a broadcast arrangement similar to the men's tournament, with all games airing nationally in their entirety on either an ESPN linear channel or, for the first time, ABC.[17]

In data issued by the NCAA in 2021, it was stated that 15.9% of the value of the contract was allocated to the women's tournament, or approximately $6.1 million annually. In comparison, the contract for the men's tournament is valued at over $700 million annually. Amid scrutiny of inequality between the men's and women's tournaments that year, it has been suggested by critics that the structure of the NCAA's contract undervalues the media rights to the women's tournament.[18][19] Based on average viewership, Emily Caron and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico estimated that the women's tournament could fetch at least $20 million per-year if its media rights were sold separately. America East Conference commissioner Amy Huchthausen argued that the ESPN contract "provides a measure of financial certainty, but it does not provide women's basketball (or any of the other sports, for that matter) an incentive to grow".[20] Following major media criticism of inequities between the 2021 men's and women's tournaments, the NCAA commissioned a comprehensive gender equity review of its championships by the law firm Kaplan Hecker & Fink. Among the report's findings was that U.S. television rights for the women's tournament would be worth at least $81 million annually by the time the current broadcast contract with ESPN expires in 2024. The current contract, which includes rights not only to the women's tournament but also 28 other NCAA championship events, provides the NCAA an average of $34 million over the life of the contract.[21][22]

See also

References

  1. "NCAA may move Women's Final Four dates". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  2. "Expansion of 2022 DI women's basketball tournament to 68 teams approved" (Press release). NCAA. November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  3. "NCAA cancels men's and women's basketball tournament due to coronavirus concerns". USA Today.
  4. "2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament dates, schedule | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  5. "Greg Christopher named chair of DI Women's Basketball Committee". NCAA. March 1, 2011.
  6. "2013 NCAA Women's Final Four Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  7. Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 58
  8. Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 67
  9. Baer, Jack (March 14, 2021). "College basketball's only undefeated women's team isn't going to NCAA tournament". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  10. Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 6,7
  11. Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 9
  12. Nixon, Rick. "Official 2020 NCAA Women's Final Four Records Book" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  13. "ESPN Sports NCAA women's basketball tourney gets new TV contract". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  14. Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 75
  15. "ESPN 'Tweets' Fans To Enhance NCAA Women's Tournament Coverage". Sports Video Group. March 25, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  16. "ESPN acquires NCAA rights for US$500 million". SportsPro Media. April 2, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  17. "2021 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships to Make Broadcast Debut on ABC". ESPN Press Room U.S. March 16, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  18. Higgins, Laine (March 19, 2021). "Women's March Madness Is Growing in Popularity—and Undervalued". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  19. Strauss, Ben; Hensley-Clancy, Molly. "Women's sports can do at least one thing men's can't, experts say: Get bigger". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  20. Novy-Williams, Emily Caron,Eben (April 4, 2021). "March Madness Daily: The NCAA's Undervalued Women's TV Rights". Sportico.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  21. "Long-awaited NCAA gender equity review recommends combined Final Four for men's, women's basketball at same site". ESPN.com. Associated Press. August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  22. "NCAA External Gender Equity Review — Phase I: Basketball Championships". Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP. August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
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