Big Ten Women’s Basketball Sets Record with 12 NCAA Tournament Berths

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Big Ten Conference has made history by sending a record 12 teams to the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, announced on Sunday night. This marks the 24th consecutive season, excluding 2019-20, that at least eight Big Ten teams will participate in postseason play.

This year’s selections include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, with Minnesota representing the conference in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) and Rutgers set to compete in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT).

UCLA, earning the No. 1 overall seed, and USC, at No. 4, led the charge for the Big Ten, which had the most teams of any Division I conference, surpassing the SEC (10), ACC (8), and Big 12 (7). Iowa’s two consecutive years as a top seed culminated in back-to-back national championship game appearances.

The 12 entries into the NCAA Tournament represent the highest single-season total for the Big Ten, reinforcing the conference’s growing strength. Additionally, it is the 20th time in the last 24 years, and the 27th time in history, that at least six conference teams have made the postseason.

In the WBIT, Minnesota earned a No. 2 seed, reflecting their competitive season. Conversely, Rutgers was offered an at-large bid for the 27th annual WNIT, adding to the Big Ten’s collective total of 14 teams participating across three postseason tournaments.

“This significant achievement showcases the depth and talent within the Big Ten women’s basketball programs,” said Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. “We are proud of our teams and their dedication, and we look forward to the thrilling matchups ahead.”

As the tournament approaches, the schedule for the First Four and First Round games has been set. Following is a summary of key matchups:

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Birmingham 2 Region (Chapel Hill, N.C.)

#11 Columbia vs. #11 Washington at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Friday, March 21, 2025

Birmingham 3 Region (South Bend, Ind.)

TBD vs. #6 Michigan at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN2.

Birmingham 2 Region (Columbia, S.C.)

#9 Indiana vs. #8 Utah at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

Birmingham 2 Region (Durham, N.C.)

#10 Oregon vs. #7 Vanderbilt at 5:30 p.m. on ESPNews.

Birmingham 3 Region (Columbus, Ohio)

#13 Montana State vs. #4 Ohio State at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

Birmingham 3 Region (Fort Worth, Texas)

#10 Nebraska vs. #7 Louisville at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

Spokane 1 Region (Los Angeles, Calif.)

TBD vs. #1 UCLA at 10 p.m. on ESPN.

Saturday, March 22, 2025

Spokane 4 Region (Norman, Okla.)

#11 Murray State vs. #6 Iowa at 12 p.m. on ESPN.

Spokane 4 Region (Los Angeles, Calif.)

#16 UNC Greensboro vs. #1 USC at 3 p.m. on ABC.

Birmingham 2 Region (College Park, Md.)

#13 Norfolk State vs. #4 Maryland at 4 p.m. on ESPN.

Spokane 1 Region (Raleigh, N.C.)

#10 Harvard vs. #7 Michigan State at 4:30 p.m. on ESPNews.

Birmingham 3 Region (Austin, Texas)

#9 Creighton vs. #8 Illinois at 7:15 p.m. on ESPNews.

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Toledo, Ohio (Savage Arena)

#2 Minnesota vs. Toledo at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

March 23, 2025

Rutgers vs. Bryant/Army (TBD) — TBD.