NCAA to play one-site women's basketball tourney; San Antonio likely host

Dec. 14 (UPI) -- The NCAA plans to use a single site for the 2021 Division I women's basketball tournament, college sports' governing body announced Monday.

The NCAA said in a news release that it has begun "preliminary talks" with San Antonio and the surrounding region to serve as the potential venue for the annual 64-team tournament, which is expected to be held in late March and early April.

Both the men's and women's Division I basketball tournaments were canceled in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Baylor won the last women's title on April 7, 2019, in Tampa, Fla.

Event organizers said they decided to hold the 2021 tournament in a "manageable geographic area that limits travel and allows the NCAA to focus on the potential benefits of conducting certain safety measures in a controlled environment with competition and practice venues."

The said they also took into account medical resources and lodging for teams and officials "all in close proximity."

"By making this difficult decision now, it allows for an earlier opportunity to work proactively with local public health officials within the host communities and ensures that the identified guidelines and protocols are considered for a more controlled environment," said Nina King, chairwoman of the women's basketball committee.

The NCAA said all 63 games of the 2021 women's tournament will air on ESPN platforms.

Initial plans for the women's tournament featured Albany, N.Y., Austin, Texas, Spokane, Wash., and Cincinnati as regional sites. The NCAA said it plans to bring the tournament back to those "impacted sites" in future years.

"San Antonio was the perfect region for us to explore because it already has an established and fully operational local organizing committee in place for the 2021 women's Final Four," said Lynn Holzman, vice president of women's basketball at the NCAA.

"We look forward to working with Bexar County, San Antonio and the state of Texas to further determine a path for creating a special championship experience for all 64 participating school while ensuring the safest possible environment for college athletes and officials," Holzman said.

The University of the Incarnate Word, the University of Texas at San Antonio and San Antonio Sports, a non-profit sports commission, will host the women's Final Four.

Previous plans for the tournament had the first and second rounds scheduled for March 19 to 22, but the NCAA did not reveal a specific start date Monday in its announcement about the new sites.

The NCAA said in November that the men's tournament also will be played in a single area. Indianapolis is expected to host that tournament and is involved in active negotiations with the association.