NCAA Announces Format Changes for Women’s Basketball Tournament

The championship regional rounds will change next season, per the NCAA.

The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee has announced changes to its 2023 championship format after concluding its annual summer meeting last week.

Selection Sunday will take place on Sunday, March 12 on ESPN. The First Four opening-round games on March 15 and 16 will be played on the campuses of teams seeded in the top 16.

The changes to format are centered around the championship regional rounds of the tournament. Per the release, the 2023 championship regional rounds will move to a two-host format. Eight teams will play at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina and eight will play at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

“The committee spent a significant amount of time in determining the regional playing format and preferred playing location for the First Four games,” Nina King, the committee chair said.

“The decision to continue with top 16 sites hosting First Four games was backed by the positive feedback from the schools that participated in those games during the 2022 championship. We feel both decisions provide for the best student-athlete experience,” she continued.

The NCAA also announced its 12-member committee for the 2022–23 season.

Beth Goetz, the director of athletics at Ball State will serve as the committee chair in her fourth year on the committee. Lisa Peterson, the deputy athletics director at Oregon will serve as the vice chair this season and as the chair in 2023-24.

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