PRESENTED BY INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA approved moving the women's basketball Final Four to a Friday-Sunday format beginning in 2017. The Final Four had that format from 1996-2002 before switching to the current Sunday-Tuesday model in 2003. The NCAA also will move up the preliminary rounds by a day, with the first games of the tournament played on Friday. The moves were made to help improve attendance, which has become stagnant over the past few years. Last season, the NCAA averaged 5,466 for all rounds -- 17th since the tournament began in 1982. "The hope is that the change in day pattern will allow more fans to attend the games throughout the championship," said Carolayne Henry, committee chair and senior associate commissioner of the Mountain West Conference. "As a committee we continue to explore ways to try and improve the tournament format. We felt this was an important next step." The NCAA hasn't announced a site yet for the 2017 Final Four, but said last month that there were seven finalists for the 2017-2020 cycle -- Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Houston; Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans; Pittsburgh; and Tampa, Fla. Committee members also decided to keep the selection show on the Monday after the men's selection show. That schedule allows women's basketball to retain its own day for announcing the tournament field. "Selection Monday continues to be an opportunity to showcase our tournament," Henry said.
Hope women' s basketball notches 143 points breaks DIII scoring record in season opener
To start the 2022-23 Hope women's basketball season the Flying Dutch scored 143 points, breaking the Division III scoring record.
10 sleeper teams to know this year in women' s basketball according to Autumn Johnson
The women's college basketball season is underway. Here are 10 sleeper teams to know that could make waves in March.
How the field of 68 DI women s teams is picked for March Madness
The NCAA’s guide to how the 68 teams are chosen, seeded and bracketed for the Division I women's basketball tournament.
DI Women' s Basketball News
Subscribe To Email Updates
Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners Sign Me Up