Current:Home > ContactFirst Four launches March Madness 2024. Here's everything to know about women's teams. -EliteFunds
First Four launches March Madness 2024. Here's everything to know about women's teams.
View
Date:2025-04-13 09:52:08
For the women, March Madness ramps up one day after the men with their own First Four matchups.
The expanded field is fairly new to the women's game, which started the First Four round in 2022. It was one of a handful of changes that the NCAA began making in the wake of a gender equity report showing vast disparities between the men's and women's basketball tournaments.
Unlike the men, who stage all four games in one place, the women play each game at a different location, picking four sites out of the top 16 national seeds.
Here is what you need to know about the women's teams in this year's First Four.
First Four teams for women's March Madness
- Arizona (17-15): Went into the Pac-12 tournament as the No. 7 seed and was eliminated by top-seeded USC in the conference quarterfinals.
- Auburn (20-11): Finished in a sixth-place tie with Mississippi State in the SEC and was routed by LSU in the conference quarterfinals.
- Columbia (23-6): Finished tied with Princeton for the top seed in the Ivy League before going on to beat the Tigers 75-58 in the conference championship game.
- Holy Cross (20-12): Was the top seed in the Patriot League and went on to win the conference championship against Boston University 61-55.
- Presbyterian (20-14): Finished in a tie for fourth place in the Big South, but went on to beat Radford in the conference title game.
- Sacred Heart (24-9): Only lost one game in the NEC and ran away with the conference championship. The Pioneers have won 15 consecutive games.
- UT Martin (16-16): Was one of three teams to finish in second place in the OVC and made it to the conference championship game before losing to top-seeded Southern Indiana.
- Vanderbilt (22-9): Finished the regular season as the No. 6 seed in the SEC tournament, where they were ousted by Florida in the first round.
IT'S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY's NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.
When is First Four for women?
The women's First Four will take place with two games on Wednesday, March 20 and two games on Thursday, March 21.
First Four games for women
Wednesday, March 20
- Sacred Heart (24-9) vs. Presbyterian (20-14), 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The winner will be the No. 16 seed in Albany Regional 1 and face No. 1 South Carolina.
- Vanderbilt (22-9) vs. Columbia (23-6), 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The winner will be the No. 12 seed in Portland Regional 3 and face No. 5 Baylor.
Thursday, March 21
- Auburn (20-11) vs. Arizona (17-15), 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The winner will be the No. 11 seed in Portland Regional 3 and face No. 6 Syracuse.
- Holy Cross (20-12) vs. UT Martin (16-16), 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The winner will be the No. 16 seed in Albany Regional 2 and face No. 1 Iowa.
Where is First Four for women?
The sites of the women's First Four games will be: Blacksburg, Virginia; Columbia, South Carolina; Storrs, Connecticut; and Peoria, Illinois.
How to watch women's First Four
The women's First Four games will be broadcast on ESPNU and ESPN2.
Have any First Four teams won the women's national championship?
No, in fact Mississippi State is the only team to ever win a first-round game after advancing out of the First Four. Last season the Bulldogs beat Creighton in the Round of 64 before losing to Notre Dame 53-48 in the second round.
USA TODAY Sports' Steve Gardner contributed to this report.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- ACC commissioner promises to fight ‘for as long as it takes’ amid legal battles with Clemson, FSU
- What is an open convention?
- No one hurt when CSX locomotive derails and strikes residential garage in Niagara Falls
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Andre Seldon Jr., Utah State football player and former Belleville High School star, dies in apparent drowning
- The Best Flowy Clothes That Won’t Stick to Your Body in the Summer Heat
- Secret Service admits some security modifications for Trump were not provided ahead of assassination attempt
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, The End of Time
Ranking
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Takeaways from a day that fundamentally changed the presidential race
- Airlines, government and businesses rush to get back on track after global tech disruption
- How to Watch the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony and All Your Favorite Sports
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- How well does the new 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser cruise on pavement?
- San Antonio church leaders train to serve as mental health counselors
- LSU cornerback Javien Toviano arrested, faces video voyeurism charges
Recommendation
South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
Powerball winning numbers for July 20 drawing: Jackpot now worth $102 million
Get the scoop on National Ice Cream Day!
Southern California wildfire destroys and damages homes during scorching heat wave
Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
A different price for everyone? What is dynamic pricing and is it fair?
Fossil Fuel Development and Invasive Trees Drive Pronghorn Population Decline in Wyoming
Kamala Harris says she intends to earn and win Democratic presidential nomination