The NCAA women's basketball tournament has so far been the most successful it has ever been when it comes to viewership and attendance, driven by crowds flocking to see their teams play first- and second-round games at home in hopes of advancing to the Sweet 16.
An ugly incident involving the Utah women's basketball team last week has raised questions about how the NCAA selects those early-round sites, which are not locked in until Selection Sunday while the men's sites — at neutral locations — are chosen years in advance.
The Utes players and their traveling party faced racism near their hotel in Idaho and ultimately changed locations. The team was staying in Idaho, 30 miles away from their game site, because of lack of hotel availability in Spokane, Washington.
NCAA Vice President for Women’s Basketball Lynn Holzman spoke with The Associated Press about the logistics and whether changes could be in store.
After Utah team subjected to racism, could the NCAA change tournament sites in the future?
The NCAA has tried a few different formats for the opening rounds of the tournament and the most successful has been the current one where the top 16 seeds host games. The NCAA went to that format in 2015 after having pre-determined sites at schools for the first two rounds before that.
The format has seen a huge rise in attendance the past three seasons after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, mirroring increased interest in the game, and it rewards the top teams for their regular-season performance.
“Home sites are a great reward for teams that have earned them throughout the season, and the prospect of hosting really ignites the local fan bases as they try and earn the host site," said North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart, who is president of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. "But, this is only true if the seeding all the way through the 64 is right, based on the team and its qualifications, and never on geographical location.”
This year, there was a record 292,456 fans in attendance for the first two rounds, shattering the previous mark by over 60,000 set last season.
“We saw a 27% increase of attendance,” Holzman said. “There were several sellouts in the first and second round and the secondary market demand was reflective of that increase.”
After Utah team subjected to racism, could the NCAA change tournament sites in the future?
Viewership also had record numbers for the first and second rounds. The first round was up over 83% from last year and the second round had a 121% increase from 2023. An average of 1.5 million viewers watched the second round according to ESPN.
Holzman told the AP that the selection committee was slated to review the championship format after the 2025 tournament. She has been pushing for some time to move the review up to this year.
“That review would include the first four, first and second rounds and also an evaluation of the two-site regional format,” Holzman said. “We want to look at the preliminary rounds of the championship and with the growth we’ve had the last few years I think we should move up that review to start in 2024.”
The NCAA thought the switch last season to two regional sites worked well and expects this year's sites — in Albany, New York and Portland, Oregon — to continue that.
Holzman said the bid process to host the opening two rounds starts in July and goes into the fall. This past year, 40 schools were considered, with an eye toward which teams could crack the top 16 seeds chosen by the NCAA selection committee.
Players and staff on the Utah bench react toward the end of a second-round college basketball game against Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Wash., Monday, March 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
“Teams drop off on their own accord,” she said. “When we get into Selection Sunday there are 20-25 bids that are completely ready and sitting there in case they get the top seed. This year we had 27 that we were ready to act on.”
There is a specific requirement around the number of hotels, rooms, the level of service and other important factors.
“We've done everything we can to mitigate circumstances,” Holzman said. “In the real world, unfortunately, despite all the pre-bid work with schools and having a contract, a hotel without knowledge to us violated the terms of the contract and released all the rooms.”
Holzman wouldn't say where this occurred, but that the site was able to get another hotel and it wasn't an issue.
The NCAA requires host sites to have hotels be within reasonable distance from the venue and approximately a 30-minute drive at the most.
Utah, South Dakota State and UC Irvine were staying at hotels in Idaho, with Gonzaga as the host school, because of a lack of hotel space in the Spokane area. Last weekend, the city was also a host site for first- and second rounds of the men’s NCAA Tournament — a choice made several years ago — and there was also a large youth volleyball tournament in the area.
Gonzaga had arranged for a police escort for the three teams to make the 30-mile drive to the arena from Idaho to cut down on the travel time. The school also arranged for a gym near their hotels for the teams to practice.
Gonzaga wasn't the only place that had teams staying miles from the venue. In Connecticut, some teams stayed in Hartford, which is roughly a 30-minute drive to Storrs without traffic but can take up to an hour on a busy day.
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Niclas Füllkrug scored and Borussia Dortmund earned a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday.
Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck sent a long pass over the top for Füllkrug to control brilliantly with his first touch before firing it past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with his next in the 36th minute.
“It's not the first time that I've tried to stick the ball in at the near post this season. This time it worked out and I'm even happier that it's in such an important game,” Füllkrug said.
The win gives Dortmund a narrow advantage before the teams play again in the second leg in Paris next Tuesday, when the French champion will need to overturn the result if it's going to capture Europe's biggest prize before Kylian Mbappé leaves the club.
PSG is under pressure to finally win to the Champions League to justify more than a decade of huge investment from its Qatari owners.
Dortmund's win ensured it qualified for the tournament next season and it gives the Bundesliga five teams in the expanded tournament. Dortmund is assured of finishing at least fifth.
Roared on by most of the 81,365 fans present, including the famed “yellow wall” behind one of the goals, Dortmund made the busier start and maintained its intensity for the whole game. The home team ran 119.7 kilometers — almost 10 more than the visitors.
Defender Lucas Hernández went off injured after trying to stop Füllkrug from scoring. It looked like Hernández suffered a left leg injury.
PSG pushed hardest early in the second half, when Mbappé hit the right post before Achraf Hakimi struck the left post.
Gregor Kobel saved Mbappé’s next effort and Dortmund survived the pressure.
Füllkrug went on to miss further good chances for the German team, while Marquinhos made a crucial block to deny Julian Brandt late on.
“It would have been nice if we could have made our counterattacks count to get a second goal at the end,” Dortmund veteran Mats Hummels said. “But now we have to come through in Paris.”
The visitors missed chances, too.
Ousmane Dembelé should have scored on his return to Dortmund when he blazed a shot over late, then Vitinha flashed a shot wide of the left post.
“We tried to keep the ball from them but it’s so difficult because they have a lot of quality,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. "They are a great team on the ball and off the ball. Today in that environment they were great in both aspects of the game. I think we had maybe a lack of intensity in the first half, but in the second half we created clear, clear chances. But we couldn’t score.”
Dortmund coach Edin Terzić only made his first substitution in the 83rd, when he sent on veteran Marco Reus for the exhausted Karim Adeyemi.
The winner of the two-leg tie will play either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final in London on June 1. The old rivals drew 2-2 in their semifinal first leg in Munich on Tuesday.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Dortmund's head coach Edin Terzic protests to referee Anthony Taylor during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Dortmund's head coach Edin Terzic protests to referee Anthony Taylor during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Dortmund's Niclas Fuellkrug reacts after a missed chance during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
PSG's Marquinhos, front, defenses against Dortmund's Julian Brandt during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
PSG's head coach Luis Enrique reacts after the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Dortmund supporters wave flags after the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Dortmund won 1-0. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
PSG's Mbappe reacts after a missed chance during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at Signal Iduna Park, Dortmundm Germany, Wednesday May 1, 2024. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)
Dortmund's Niclas Fuellkrug celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Dortmund's players greet fans after the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
PSG's Kylian Mbappe leaves the pitch after the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Dortmund's Emre Can is challenged by PSG's Randal Kolo Muani, right, during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Dortmund's Emre Can is challenged by PSG's Randal Kolo Muani, right, during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
PSG's Kylian Mbappe gestures during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
PSG's Kylian Mbappe reacts during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Dortmund's fans cheer for their team during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Dortmund's fans cheer for their team during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Dortmund's Niclas Fuellkrug, right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal-Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, Germany, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
