NCAA tournament expansion to 76 teams, explained
The bracket for the 2027 NCAA women's basketball tournament will be announced on Sunday, March 14. You can find the full tournament schedule below.
The 2027 tournament will be the first to have 76 teams. The NCAA announced the expansion from 68 to 76 teams on Thursday, May 7, 2026. There will be 12 total Opening Round games on Wednesday, March 17 and Thursday, March 18 before the 64-team First Round on Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20.
2027 NCAA women's basketball tournament schedule, dates
- Selection Sunday: Sunday, March 14
- Opening Round (12 games): March 17-18 at campus sites
- First Round (32 games): March 19-20 at campus sites
- Second round (16 games): March 21-22 at campus sites
- Sweet 16 (Eight games): March 26-27 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Las Vegas, Nevada
- Elite Eight (Four games): March 28-29 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Las Vegas, Nevada
- Final Four: Friday, April 2 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio
- NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 4 Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio
2027 NCAA women's basketball tournament bracket
2027 March Madness women's regional locations
| 2027 Regional ROUND SITES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Round | City | Venue | Dates |
| Sweet 16/Elite Eight | Philadelphia, PA | Xfinity Mobile Arena | March 26-29 |
| Sweet 16/Elite Eight | Las Vegas, NV | T-Mobile Arena | March 26-29 |
Here are the future sites and dates for the Final Four:
|
Year |
City |
Venue |
Dates |
Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2028 |
Indianapolis, IN |
Lucas Oil Stadium |
March 31 & April 2 |
Horizon League |
|
2029 |
San Antonio, TX |
Alamodome |
March 30 & April 1 |
University of Incarnate Word |
|
2030 |
Portland, OR |
Moda Center |
April 5 & 7 |
University of Portland |
|
2031 |
Dallas, TX |
American Airlines Center |
April 4 & 6 |
Big 12 Conference |
Here is the complete list of teams who have won the DI national championship:
NCAA DI women's basketball: Champions, history
| YEAR | CHAMPION (RECORD) | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | UCLA (37-1) | Cori Close | 79-51 | South Carolina | Phoenix, Ariz. |
| 2025 | UConn (37-3) | Geno Auriemma | 82-59 | South Carolina | Tampa, Fla. |
| 2024 | South Carolina (38-0) | Dawn Staley | 87-75 | Iowa | Cleveland, Ohio |
| 2023 | LSU (34-2) | Kim Mulkey | 102-85 | Iowa | Dallas, Texas |
| 2022 | South Carolina (36-2) | Dawn Staley | 64-49 | Connecticut | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 2021 | Stanford (31-2) | Tara VanderVeer | 54-53 | Arizona | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2019 | Baylor (37-1) | Kim Mulkey | 82-81 | Notre Dame | Tampa, Fla. |
| 2018 | Notre Dame (34-3) | Muffet McGraw | 61-58 | Mississippi State | Columbus, Ohio |
| 2017 | South Carolina (33-4) | Dawn Staley | 67-55 | Mississippi State | Dallas, Texas |
| 2016 | Connecticut (38-0) | Geno Auriemma | 82-51 | Syracuse | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 2015 | Connecticut (38-1) | Geno Auriemma | 63-53 | Notre Dame | Tampa, Fla. |
| 2014 | Connecticut (40-0) | Geno Auriemma | 79-58 | Notre Dame | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2013 | Connecticut (35-4) | Geno Auriemma | 93-60 | Louisville | New Orleans, La. |
| 2012 | Baylor (40-0) | Kim Mulkey | 80-61 | Notre Dame | Denver, Colo. |
| 2011 | Texas A&M (33-5) | Gary Blair | 76-70 | Notre Dame | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 2010 | Connecticut (39-0) | Geno Auriemma | 53-47 | Stanford | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2009 | Connecticut (39-0) | Geno Auriemma | 76-54 | Louisville | St. Louis, Mo. |
| 2008 | Tennessee (36-2) | Pat Summitt | 64-48 | Stanford | Tampa, Fla. |
| 2007 | Tennessee (34-3) | Pat Summitt | 59-46 | Rutgers | Cleveland, Ohio |
| 2006 | Maryland (34-4) | Brenda Frese | 78-75 (OT) | Duke | Boston, Mass. |
| 2005 | Baylor (33-3) | Kim Mulkey | 84-62 | Michigan State | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 2004 | Connecticut (31-4) | Geno Auriemma | 70-61 | Tennessee | New Orleans, La. |
| 2003 | Connecticut (37-1) | Geno Auriemma | 73-68 | Tennessee | Atlanta, Ga. |
| 2002 | Connecticut (39-0) | Geno Auriemma | 82-70 | Oklahoma | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2001 | Notre Dame (34-2) | Muffet McGraw | 68-66 | Purdue | St. Louis, Mo. |
| 2000 | Connecticut (36-1) | Geno Auriemma | 71-52 | Tennessee | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| 1999 | Purdue (34-1) | Carolyn Peck | 62-45 | Duke | San Jose, Calif. |
| 1998 | Tennessee (39-0) | Pat Summitt | 93-75 | Louisiana Tech | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1997 | Tennessee (29-10) | Pat Summitt | 68-59 | Old Dominion | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 1996 | Tennessee (32-4) | Pat Summitt | 83-65 | Georgia | Charlotte, N.C. |
| 1995 | Connecticut (35-0) | Geno Auriemma | 70-64 | Tennessee | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 1994 | North Carolina (33-2) | Sylvia Hatchell | 60-59 | Louisiana Tech | Richmond, Va. |
| 1993 | Texas Tech (31-3) | Marsha Sharp | 84-82 | Ohio State | Atlanta, Ga. |
| 1992 | Stanford (30-3) | Tara VanDerveer | 78-62 | Western Kentucky | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 1991 | Tennessee (30-5) | Pat Summitt | 70-67 (OT) | Virginia | New Orleans, La. |
| 1990 | Stanford (32-1) | Tara VanDerveer | 88-81 | Auburn | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| 1989 | Tennessee (35-2) | Pat Summitt | 76-60 | Auburn | Tacoma, Wash. |
| 1988 | Louisiana Tech (32-2) | Leon Barmore | 56-54 | Auburn | Tacoma, Wash. |
| 1987 | Tennessee (28-6) | Pat Summitt | 67-44 | Louisiana Tech | Austin, Texas |
| 1986 | Texas (34-0) | Jody Conradt | 97-81 | Southern California | Lexington, Ky. |
| 1985 | Old Dominion (31-3) | Marianne Stanley | 70-65 | Georgia | Austin, Texas |
| 1984 | Southern California (29-4) | Linda Sharp | 72-61 | Tennessee | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 1983 | Southern California (31-2) | Linda Sharp | 69-67 | Louisiana Tech | Norfolk, Va. |
| 1982 | Louisiana Tech (35-1) | Sonja Hogg | 76-62 | Cheyney | Norfolk, Va. |
