The women’s NCAA Tournament is expanding from 64 to 68 teams, the NCAA announced Wednesday.
For only the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the four opening-round games will be held on the campuses of participating teams. Starting in 2023, the opening-round contests will be held at a neutral site that has yet to be determined.
“This was another important step in providing additional championship participation opportunities for women’s basketball student-athletes,” Duke athletic director Nina King, chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, said in a statement. “The committee was in support of implementing this as soon as possible and were pleased that the expanded championship field will be in play immediately for the upcoming championship and beyond.”
As with the men’s NCAA Tournament, the final four at-large teams and the teams seeded 65th through 68th will participate in the women’s opening-round games. The men’s NCAA Tournament has included 68 teams since the 2011 event.
–Field Level Media