DI Women’s Basketball Committee provides early look at upcoming championship selections

If the season ended today, UConn, South Carolina, Notre Dame and Tennessee would be the top four seeds for the 2015 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. 

The potential No. 1 seed line and the top-20 seeds for the upcoming championship were announced by the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee on Wednesday. The committee announcement came at the conclusion of its annual Selection Orientation Meeting conducted in Indianapolis on Feb. 10-11.

“There were several reasons for today’s unprecedented announcement,” said Dru Hancock, chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and senior associate commissioner at the Big 12 Conference. “It’s important to keep in mind that today’s announcement has no bearing on the final bracket, but we were able to identify those institutions that are a possible top-20 seed so that they can begin preparations to host first- and second-round play, while also building momentum towards the upcoming championship.”

Selection Monday will take place March 16 at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN. 

Earning No. 1 seeds are UConn (23-1), South Carolina (22-1), Notre Dame (23-2) and Tennessee (20-3). Two-time defending champion UConn has reeled off 22 straight wins since losing at Stanford on Nov. 17. South Carolina, which also received a No. 1 seed for the 2014 championship, suffered its first defeat of the season on Monday, losing at UConn, 87-62. Notre Dame has made four straight trips to the Women’s Final Four and is currently on a nine-game winning streak. Tennessee, winner of eight national championships, has won 16 of the last 17 games and is currently undefeated along with South Carolina at the top of the Southeastern Conference standings at 10-0.

The committee also identified the top-20 seeds as of February 11 in the following alphabetical order: Arizona State, Baylor, California, UConn, Duke, Florida State, George Washington, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon State, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Washington.

The 2015 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will utilize a hosting model that will allow the top-16 seeds, who meet championship hosting requirements, to host first- and second-round games on March 20-23.

“The committee believes that the format for the 2015 championship will provide student-athletes with a great championship experience and produce improved attendance,” said Hancock. “There is much basketball still to be played, with the committee having already spent an incredible amount of time watching games, evaluating teams and reviewing data. We are in a great place heading into March and are anxious to see how the rest of the regular season and conference tournaments play out.”

Regional championship play in 2015 will take place at pre-determined neutral sites – Albany, N.Y.; Greensboro, N.C.; Oklahoma City, Okla. and Spokane, Wash., from March 27-30. The 2015 NCAA Women’s Final Four will be held April 5 and 7 at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Fla.

Tickets for all rounds of the championship are available at http://www.ncaa.com/tickets/basketball-women/d1

2015 NCAA® DIVISION I WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

TOP-20 SEED LIST AS OF FEBRUARY 11, 2015 (alphabetical)

No. 1 seed line (in order): 1. UConn; 2. South Carolina; 3. Notre Dame; 4. Tennessee