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Big Ten Ties Record with Seven Schools Selected for the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament
ROSEMONT, Ill. – A record-tying seven Big Ten Conference schools received berths into the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, the NCAA announced on Sunday night. For the second consecutive year, seven schools earned their way into the NCAA Tournament, led by No. 1 seed Iowa, No. 2 seed Ohio State and No. 4 seed Indiana.
This marks the second time a Big Ten program has garnered a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament in as many years, when Indiana was a top seed a season ago.
The seven selections ties the conference record for most teams selected in one season (also set in 2012, 2015, 2021 and 2023). It is the 19th time in the past 23 years and 26th time in Big Ten history that at least six current conference members have been chosen to compete in the NCAA Tournament.
The First Four will be played Wednesday-Thursday (March 19-20) at four of the top 16 host sites, with the first- and second-round games being played on the campuses of the top 16 seeds from March 22-25. Tournament play then shifts to two eight-team regional sites in Albany, N.Y. and Portland, Ore., from March 29-April 1. The four regional winners will advance to the NCAA Final Four, which will take place April 5 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio before the NCAA Championship Game on Sunday, April 7 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
The 2024 NCAA Tournament will be televised live on the ESPN family of networks and can also be seen on the ESPN app.
For the third consecutive year, Iowa is the Big Ten’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament after the Hawkeyes won their third-straight Big Ten Tournament title and sixth overall. Iowa is the No. 1 seed in the Albany 2 Region and will take on the winner of Wednesday’s First Four contest between No. 16 seeds Holy Cross and UT Martin inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa is making its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth in a row. The Hawkeyes have a 32-29 record in NCAA Tournament play, including a trip to the national championship game in 2023.
Ohio State, the Big Ten regular season champion, claimed the No. 2 seed in the Portland 3 Region and will host No. 15 seed Maine in a first-round matchup at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. A victory would send the Buckeyes into a second-round contest with either No. 7 seed Duke or No. 10 seed Richmond. Ohio State is making its 28th NCAA Tournament appearance and owns a 31-27 record in tournament games, advancing to the NCAA National Championship game in 1993 and reaching the Elite Eight last year.
Indiana earned the No. 4 seed in the Albany 1 Region and will play host to NCAA Tournament games for the third time in program history inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. The Hoosiers will take on No. 13 seed Fairfield in the first round and holds a 9-9 mark in NCAA Tournament action heading into their 10th postseason appearance.
Nebraska is making its 16th NCAA Tournament appearance after notching the No. 6 seed in the Albany 1 Region. The Huskers are set to challenge No. 11 seed Texas A&M in Corvallis, Ore. With a win, Nebraska would take on host No. 3 Oregon State or No. 14 Eastern Washington. The Huskers own an 8-15 record in the postseason tournament.
Michigan State garnered the No. 9 seed in the Albany 1 Region and is heading into its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance, its first since 2021. The Spartans will face No. 8 seed North Carolina in Columbia, S.C. as they look to improve on their 19-18 tournament record.
Michigan received the No. 9 seed in the Portland 3 Region as it embarks on its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Wolverines are set to battle No. 8 seed Kansas in Los Angeles, Calif. and hold a 11-11 mark in the tournament.
Maryland earned its 14th straight NCAA Tournament bid as the No. 10 seed in the Portland 4 Region. The Terrapins will face No. 7 seed Iowa State in Stanford, Calif. Maryland is ready to set out on its 31st tournament appearance and has a 53-29 record.
Game times will be announced in the coming days.
This marks the second time a Big Ten program has garnered a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament in as many years, when Indiana was a top seed a season ago.
The seven selections ties the conference record for most teams selected in one season (also set in 2012, 2015, 2021 and 2023). It is the 19th time in the past 23 years and 26th time in Big Ten history that at least six current conference members have been chosen to compete in the NCAA Tournament.
The First Four will be played Wednesday-Thursday (March 19-20) at four of the top 16 host sites, with the first- and second-round games being played on the campuses of the top 16 seeds from March 22-25. Tournament play then shifts to two eight-team regional sites in Albany, N.Y. and Portland, Ore., from March 29-April 1. The four regional winners will advance to the NCAA Final Four, which will take place April 5 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio before the NCAA Championship Game on Sunday, April 7 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
The 2024 NCAA Tournament will be televised live on the ESPN family of networks and can also be seen on the ESPN app.
For the third consecutive year, Iowa is the Big Ten’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament after the Hawkeyes won their third-straight Big Ten Tournament title and sixth overall. Iowa is the No. 1 seed in the Albany 2 Region and will take on the winner of Wednesday’s First Four contest between No. 16 seeds Holy Cross and UT Martin inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa is making its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance and sixth in a row. The Hawkeyes have a 32-29 record in NCAA Tournament play, including a trip to the national championship game in 2023.
Ohio State, the Big Ten regular season champion, claimed the No. 2 seed in the Portland 3 Region and will host No. 15 seed Maine in a first-round matchup at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. A victory would send the Buckeyes into a second-round contest with either No. 7 seed Duke or No. 10 seed Richmond. Ohio State is making its 28th NCAA Tournament appearance and owns a 31-27 record in tournament games, advancing to the NCAA National Championship game in 1993 and reaching the Elite Eight last year.
Indiana earned the No. 4 seed in the Albany 1 Region and will play host to NCAA Tournament games for the third time in program history inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. The Hoosiers will take on No. 13 seed Fairfield in the first round and holds a 9-9 mark in NCAA Tournament action heading into their 10th postseason appearance.
Nebraska is making its 16th NCAA Tournament appearance after notching the No. 6 seed in the Albany 1 Region. The Huskers are set to challenge No. 11 seed Texas A&M in Corvallis, Ore. With a win, Nebraska would take on host No. 3 Oregon State or No. 14 Eastern Washington. The Huskers own an 8-15 record in the postseason tournament.
Michigan State garnered the No. 9 seed in the Albany 1 Region and is heading into its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance, its first since 2021. The Spartans will face No. 8 seed North Carolina in Columbia, S.C. as they look to improve on their 19-18 tournament record.
Michigan received the No. 9 seed in the Portland 3 Region as it embarks on its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Wolverines are set to battle No. 8 seed Kansas in Los Angeles, Calif. and hold a 11-11 mark in the tournament.
Maryland earned its 14th straight NCAA Tournament bid as the No. 10 seed in the Portland 4 Region. The Terrapins will face No. 7 seed Iowa State in Stanford, Calif. Maryland is ready to set out on its 31st tournament appearance and has a 53-29 record.
Game times will be announced in the coming days.