NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament

The NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, sometimes referred to as Women's March Madness,[1] is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 women's college basketball teams from the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to determine the national championship.

NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2023 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
SportBasketball
Founded1982 (1982)
Inaugural season1982
Organising bodyNCAA
No. of teams68
Most recent
champion(s)		LSU
(1st title)
(2023)
Most titlesUConn (11)
TV partner(s)ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, WatchESPN
Level on pyramid1
Official websitencaa.com/basketball
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Championships

The tournament was preceded by the AIAW women's basketball tournament, which was organized by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) 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 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.

As of 2022, the tournament follows the same format and selection process as its men's counterpart, with 32 automatic bids awarded to the champions of the Division I conferences, and 36 "at-large bids" extended by the NCAA Selection Committee, which are placed into four regional divisions and seeded from 1 to 16. The four lowest-seeded automatic bids, and the four lowest-seeded at-large bids, compete in the First Four games to advance to the 64-team bracket in the first round. The national semi-finals, branded as the Women's Final Four, are traditionally scheduled on the same weekend as the men's Final Four, but in a different host city. Presently, the Women's Final Four uses a Friday/Sunday scheduling, with its games occurring one day prior to the men's Final Four and championship respectively.[2]

Attendance and interest in the women's 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.[2] The tournament is often overshadowed by the more-prominent men's tournament; after a gender equality review following the 2021 tournament, the NCAA expanded it to the current 68-team format of the men's tournament, and extended the "March Madness" branding to the tournament as well. Still, the tournament receives a smaller amount of funding from broadcast rights (which are held by ESPN, and are pooled with those of other NCAA Division I championships besides golf and men's basketball) and sponsorship (which are sold by CBS and Turner Sports) than the men's tournament.

With 11 national titles, the UConn Huskies hold the record for the most NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships, which included four straight championships from 2013 through 2016.[3] The team had also made the semi-finals for 14 consecutive tournaments.

Tournament format

From 1982 to 1990, 1996 to 2002, 2017 to 2019 and since 2021, 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, since 2023, is played the Sunday afternoon following the Men's Final Four; from 2017 to 2019, 2021 and 2022, Sunday evening.

The tournament bracket is made up of champions from each Division I conference, which rre somatic bid]]s. 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.

Main article: NCAA basketball tournament selection process

Since 2022, 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.[4]

The tournament begins with four opening-round games known as the First Four. Like the men's version, the women's First Four involves 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.[5]

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 that all first-round games involve teams whose seeds add up to 17).

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[seed 1]
1984 17 15 32
1985 18 14 Higher seed
1986 17 23 40 Higher seed[seed 1]
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[seed 1]
1998 Higher seed
1999
2000 Higher seed[seed 1]
2001 31 33
2002 Higher seed
2003 16 Sites[seed 2]
2004
2005 8 Sites[seed 2]
2006
2007
2008
2009 16 Sites[seed 2]
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014 32 32
2015 Higher seed[seed 1]
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021 31[seed 3] 33
2022 32 36 68
  1. Some exceptions. Due to venue availability, in some cases, the lower seed hosted, or the game was played at a neutral site.
  2. 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.
  3. Ivy League cancelled all winter athletics due to COVID-19

Selection process
Further information: NCAA basketball tournament 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 pandemic
2021 Stanford
(5, 3–2)		 54–53 Arizona
(1, 0–1)		 Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas) UConn & South Carolina
2022 South Carolina
(2, 2–0)		 64–49 UConn
(12, 11–1)		 Target Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Stanford & Louisville
2023 LSU
(1, 1–0)		 102–85 Iowa
(1, 0–1)		 American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas) South Carolina & Virginia Tech
2024 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Cleveland, Ohio)
2025 Amalie Arena (Tampa, Florida)
2026 Footprint Center (Phoenix, Arizona)
2027 Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
2028 Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana)
2029 Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas)
2030 Moda Center (Portland, Oregon)
2031 American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas)
  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
NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament is located in the United States
UConn
UConn
Tennessee
Tennessee
Baylor
Baylor
Stanford
Stanford
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech
USC
USC
NotreDame
Notre
Dame
LSU
LSU
Maryland
Maryland
NorthCarolina
North
Carolina
Old Dominion
Old Dominion
Purdue
Purdue
SouthCarolina
South
Carolina
Texas
Texas
TexasA&M
Texas
A&M
TexasTech
Texas
Tech
Schools that have won the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship
11, 8, 3, 2, 1
Team # Years
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 1990, 1992, 2021
Louisiana Tech 2 1982, 1988
Notre Dame 2001, 2018
South Carolina 2017, 2022
USC 1983, 1984
LSU 1 2023
Maryland 2006
North Carolina 1994
Old Dominion 1985
Purdue 1999
Texas 1986
Texas A&M 2011
Texas Tech 1993

Multiple NCAA championship coaches
Coach School Championships
Geno Auriemma UConn 11
Pat Summitt Tennessee 8
Kim Mulkey Baylor / LSU 4
Tara VanDerveer Stanford 3
Muffet McGraw Notre Dame 2
Linda Sharp Southern California
Dawn Staley South Carolina

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
Southeastern 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2022, 2023 11
Big East[a 1] 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013 9
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. UConn then moved from The American to the new Big East in all sports outside football in the summer of 2020. 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
NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament is located in the United States
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NCAA Final Four locations (hover over city to see arena)
  • 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, Florida
  • 2009 – St. Louis, Missouri
  • 2010 – San Antonio, Texas
  • 2011 – Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 2012 – Denver, Colorado
  • 2013 – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2014 – Nashville, Tennessee
  • 2015 – Tampa, Florida
  • 2016 – Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 2017 – Dallas, Texas
  • 2018 – Columbus, Ohio
  • 2019 – Tampa, Florida
  • 2020 – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2021 – San Antonio, Texas
  • 2022 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • 2023 – Dallas, Texas
  • 2024 – Cleveland, Ohio
  • 2025 – Tampa, Florida
  • 2026 – Phoenix, Arizona
  • 2027 – Columbus, Ohio
  • 2028 – Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 2029 – San Antonio, Texas
  • 2030 – Portland, Oregon
  • 2031 – Dallas, Texas

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.[7]

  •  ƒ  First Four (First played in 2022.)
  •  •  Round of 64 (Fewer than 64 teams invited before 1994.)
  •  32  Round of 32
  •  16  Sweet Sixteen
  •  E8  Elite Eight
  •  F4  Final Four
  •  RU  National Runner-up
  •  CH  National Champion
  •  CH   RU   F4   E8   16   32   •   ƒ  The team achieved the placement shown, but the participation was later vacated. These vacated appearances are not included in the total columns.

For each season, the 4 teams seeded No. 1 are shown with double underline, and 12 teams seeded between No. 2 and No. 4 are shown with dotted underline.

School Conference # 16 E8 F4 CG CH 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 21 22 23
UConnBig East343027221211•32F432•E8CHF4E8E816CHF4CHCHCH16E8E8F4CHCHF4F4CHCHCHCHF4F4F4F4RU16
TennesseeSEC41362818138F4E8RU16F4CHF4CHE8CH16E816RUCHCHCHE8RU16F4RURUF4E8CHCH•16E8E8E816E8E83232•321616
StanfordPac-1236282215533216E8CHF4CH16E8F4F4F4••32321632E8E8E832RUF4RUF4F416F416E8F416E8CHF432
BaylorBig 12211510433•3216CH 16323216F4E8CH16E8E8E8E816CHE83232
Notre DameACC281910972••32F4163216CH32161632•3216•16RURUF4RURU16E8CHRU1616
Louisiana TechCUSA2720161062CHRUF4E8E8RUCHF4F4••E8RU16E816RUF4E8E8•1616••••
USCPac-1217106332E8CHCH16RU161632E816E8•323232••
South CarolinaSEC1913752216•32•16•E832163216F416CHE816F4CHF4
PurdueBig Ten2712832132163216F4E8•32E8CH32RU32E8163216E832E832323232•32ƒ
Old DominionSun Belt2512532116F4E8CH16323232•3232•16RU161616•E8•••••16
LSUSEC2815961116E832•16•321616E83232E8F4F4F4F4F43232321616•••32CH
MarylandBig Ten301611511F4163232E8F432•E832••3232CH32E8E832E816F4F4321632321616E8
TexasBig 12351711311E8E816CHF4E8E8E8•3232323232•••16F4163232••••3216E81616•E8E832
North CarolinaACC3018731132163216323216CH1616E816161632•E8F4F4E832•1632E816••1632
Texas TechBig 12201141113232••16CH16E816323216E81616E83216••
Texas A&MSEC179311116••32E81632CH1632E8•3232161616
AuburnSEC2110633-32161616E8RURURUE81632E832323232•3232••
GeorgiaSEC36201152-32F4E8RU1616163232E832F4RUE8•F4E832•16E816161632•1616•E8••32323232
DukeACC25171142-32323232E8RU1616F4F4E8E8RU161632E8E8E8E83216321632
LouisvilleACC2512842-32323232•32••••3216RU1632RUE8163216F4E8E8F4E8
Mississippi StateSEC125322-•32323232163216RURUE832
VirginiaACC2512731-32323216E816F4RUF4E816E8E81632•16••32323232•32
OklahomaBig 122310331-16321616RU•32•161632F4F4163216•323232•3232
Western KentuckyCUSA206331-F4F43232••16RU163216•3232••••••
RutgersBig Ten2611721-E8E81632••3232•16E8F43232•E816RUE816•32•32••
IowaBig Ten299521-32E8E816323232F4321632323232••••32••323216•E81632RU
CheyneyD233221-RU16F4
Ohio StateBig Ten2713411-3232E816E8161632RU32•32321632••163216•3216163216E8
Michigan StateBig Ten183111-323232•32RU1632163232•323232•32•
ArizonaPac-12102111-32163232••32RU3232
SyracuseACC121111-3232•••3232RU32•3232
Long Beach StateBig West12962--16E8E8E816F4F4E83216••
Missouri StateMissouri Valley17522--32F4163232••32•F4••••1616•
VanderbiltSEC271451--3232•1616E8F41616E816•32E8E83216163232161632•3232•
Penn StateBig Ten251341--16E8321616323232321632E8321632F4•1616E8•32163216
WashingtonPac-1219731--3232321632E816323216••E8•32••F416
OregonPac-1217431--32323232••32•32••32E8E8F416•
NC StateACC281521--1632161632161616161632•F432•16•••16••32161616E8•
Oregon StatePac-1212521--1632•32•3232F416E81632
ArkansasSEC13321--••E81632F43232323232••
AlabamaSEC12611--16•3232F4161616163232•
MinnesotaBig Ten10311--323216F416••32•32
CaliforniaPac-1214211--••32••321632F4323232•32
Virginia TechACC12211--•323216323232•3232•F4
Louisiana–MonroeSun Belt3211--3216F4
Ole MissSEC19115---321616E8E81616E816•E832••••E8•16
KentuckySEC1764---E832••3232E832E8E8163216323232•
ColoradoPac-121573---3232•E816E8321632E816•••16
Florida StateACC2153---32•32323232163232E8323232E816E83232•ƒ•
UCLAPac-121882---3216•1632E8••323232321616E8163216
Arizona StatePac-121772---1616••321632E832E8•321632323216
Iowa StateBig 122162---•32E8161632•3232E816••32•••323216•
XavierBig East1022---•32•E8••••E832
George WashingtonAtlantic 101841---3232321632E83232•32•32321616•••
ClemsonACC1641---32321616E832323232•32163232•32
GonzagaWest Coast1441---•3216E816••16••32•32•
UtahPac-121931---32••••••32••163232E8•32•3216
Kansas StateBig 121731---E81632••163232323232•323232•32
IndianaBig Ten931---16•••3232E81632
Miami (FL)ACC1621---•1632•••3232•32•32•3232E8
FloridaSEC1621---32•32•E816•32•32•323232••
DrakeMissouri Valley1421---E8323232••••16•••••
VillanovaBig East1321---3232••3232E832••323216
MichiganBig Ten1121---32••32•32323216E832
CreightonBig East911---3232••323232E8•
DaytonAtlantic 10911---32••32•E8•••
LamarSouthland211---E8•
Stephen F. AustinWAC205----3232321616321616••1632••32•••••
DePaulBig East254----32•32••32••323216••••1632•1632163232•ƒ
KansasBig 12144----3232••32•16321632•161632
James MadisonSun Belt134----1616163216••••32•••
Oklahoma StateBig 12173----32•16•••32•16323216••3232•
San Diego StateMountain West93----1616•32••3216•
Boston CollegeACC73----3232•16163216
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School Conference # 16 E8 F4 CG CH 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 21 22 23
Notes

    Top-ranked teams

    Since the women's tournament began in 1982, 19 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
    • 2022: South Carolina

    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.

    No. 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
    See also: NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship upsets

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

    • Second Round: #16 seed[8]
      • 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[8]
    • Regional Finals (Elite Eight): #11 seed
    • National semifinals (Final Four): #9 seed[8]
    • National Finals (Championship Game): #5 seed
    • National Champion: #3 seed[8]

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

    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.
    • In 2023, South Carolina entered the tournament 32-0, but lost in the Final Four to Iowa, ending their 42-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.[10] 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:[11]
      • Tennessee 70, Virginia 67/OT (1991)
      • Maryland 78, Duke 75/OT (2006)
    • Smallest margin of victory in a championship game: 1 point[12]
      • 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[12]
      • 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

    Television coverage and revenues
    Main article: List of NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Final Four broadcasters

    Broadcast rights to the NCAA women's basketball tournament are included in a larger package covering most NCAA Division I championships,[13][14] outside of men's basketball (which is held by CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports),[15] and golf (which is held by Golf Channel).[16] 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.[17] Coverage later expanded to include ESPN's college sports-oriented network ESPNU, and ESPN360 for streaming.[18] In 2011, ESPN renewed this agreement through the 2023–24 season, in a deal reported to be worth $500 million in total. The deal also included rights to the men's tournament outside of the United States for ESPN International.[19]

    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.[18] 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. The Women's Final Four and championship remained exclusive to ESPN.[20] In 2023, the national championship game aired on ABC for the first time.[21]

    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.[22][23] 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".[24]

    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.[13][14]

    In an interview on NBC's Meet the Press on the day of the 2023 national championship, new NCAA president Charlie Baker implicated that the media rights to the women's basketball tournament may be sold separately in the next rights cycle, stating that "we do have an opportunity to put it out separately, and we're going to work really hard to make sure that those student-athletes, those schools, those programs get what I describe as what they should get."[25] Interest in Caitlin Clark's tournament run had led to record viewership of Iowa's Women's Final Four and championship games, which both set records for ESPN/ABC.[21][26]

    See also

    References
    1. Adgate, Brad. "March Madness Finals Ratings Set A Record High For Women, Record Low For Men". Forbes. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
    2. "NCAA may move Women's Final Four dates". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
    3. "DI Women's Basketball Championship History". NCAA.com. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
    4. "Greg Christopher named chair of DI Women's Basketball Committee". NCAA. March 1, 2011.
    5. "Expansion of 2022 DI women's basketball tournament to 68 teams approved" (Press release). NCAA. November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
    6. "2013 NCAA Women's Final Four Records" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
    7. Nixon, Rick. "Official 2020 NCAA Women's Final Four Records Book" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
    8. Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 58
    9. Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 67
    10. 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.
    11. Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 6,7
    12. Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 9
    13. "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.
    14. "NCAA External Gender Equity Review — Phase I: Basketball Championships". Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP. August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
    15. "ESPN Sports NCAA women's basketball tourney gets new TV contract". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
    16. "NCAA agrees long-term Golf Channel extension". SportsPro. August 29, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
    17. Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Record p 75
    18. "ESPN 'Tweets' Fans To Enhance NCAA Women's Tournament Coverage". Sports Video Group. March 25, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
    19. "ESPN acquires NCAA rights for US$500 million". SportsPro Media. April 2, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
    20. "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.
    21. Paulsen (April 3, 2023). "Nearly ten million viewers for NCAA women's title game". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
    22. 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.
    23. 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.
    24. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    25. Rigdon, Jay (April 2, 2023). "NCAA president strongly hints women's tournament will get separate media deal". Awful Announcing. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
    26. Draper, Kevin (April 2, 2023). "Iowa's Win Over South Carolina Was a Hit for ESPN, With 5.5 Million Viewers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
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