The head of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament is pushing to review potential changes to the event’s format this summer, a year sooner than previously planned.
The women’s basketball committee was scheduled to revisit its decision to hold the first two rounds of the tournament at campus sites for highly ranked teams and to hold its second weekend games in two sites rather than four after the 2025 championships. Lynn Holzman, vice president of women’s basketball, said she believes they have seen enough data about the growth of the sport to consider changes this year.
“Given the trajectory of success we’ve experienced over the last couple years, I see no reason to wait to start that review,” Holzman told ESPN on Tuesday afternoon. “The governance structure has to approve [a review], but that is our ask coming out of this championship. I believe that will take place.”
A change in format for the first rounds could potentially help avoid logistical problems such as the ones that occurred at the games hosted by Gonzaga in the first two rounds of this year’s tournament. A lack of available hotel space forced multiple teams competing in Spokane,…
