DI WBB Committee seeks tourney changes NCAA.com

CHAMPS

PRESENTED BY The Women’s Final Four would move to Friday-Sunday competition dates by as early as the 2015 tournament, according to a change approved by the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. The Women’s Final Four will continue to be held on the same weekend as the Men’s Final Four. But instead of the semifinals taking place on a Sunday, with the championship game on a Tuesday –– a formula that has been used since 2003 — it will move to a Friday-Sunday schedule. The committee also decided that all games played on the first two weekends of the 2015 championship be conducted on Friday-Sunday, Saturday-Monday. The committee also discussed moving the Women’s Final Four to the weekend after the Men’s Final Four. But after a thorough debate, the committee decided the current weekend is the best fit for the women’s game. The committee also decided that allowing the top-16 seeds to host on the first weekend will enhance the student-athlete experience by potentially drawing more fans to the arenas. “We feel this will give teams incentive to get better so they can host,” Henry said. “It was a challenging and difficult discussion for the committee. We know there are teams that would like to host, but they may not necessarily be in the top 16. We love having fans of teams, and the next step is attracting people who are fans of the game that will come to the arena because they want to see a good game.” The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association expressed concern that playing on home courts during the regional rounds created unfair competitive advantages as teams compete for Women’s Final Four berths. The committee agreed that games in the second weekend of the tournament should take place at neutral sites. In another action, the committee also formed a finance subcommittee that will examine the economics behind the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. The changes to the tournament competition dates were prompted by recommendations in a comprehensive report, authored by Val Ackerman, who served as a consultant for the NCAA during the 2012-13 season. She also received feedback from hundreds more in the membership through additional teleconferences and meetings held during her research-gathering phase.