Postponed games, long COVID-19 pauses for some programs and few nonconference contests have made this season different than any we have ever seen. Yet the 2021 women’s NCAA tournament is coming into focus, and is expected to be contested by 64 teams. After last season’s tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, getting to this point feels like a mission accomplished even if the journey was unlike any other.
The NCAA tournament also will look different. The entire tourney will be played at a single destination — the San Antonio region — with multiple venues, limited fans and an adjusted schedule. The Women’s Final Four will be held at the Alamodome on April 2 and 4. The road to the Lone Star State begins with Selection Monday on March 15. Along the way, and as automatic bids are won, we will continue to update Bracketology and the projected tournament field.
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Bracket Watch
Missouri State’s decision to opt out of the Missouri Valley tournament means that the conference’s automatic bid will go to someone else. As the highest remaining seed, Drake moves into the field as the MVC’s automatic bid for now. The Lady Bears will get an at-large invitation, making the MVC a two-bid league, which pushes Mississippi State out of the field. UCF is now the last team in. Central Michigan and St. Louis are also new teams, while Bowling Green and Dayton join Mississippi State as moving out of the field. This projection includes eight ACC teams and seven apiece from the SEC and Big Ten.
