Who’s in First Four for women's March Madness? Game times, dates, where to watch
(This story has been updated with new information).
The women's NCAA Tournament field has been set. That means we know who will play in the fourth rendition of the women's First Four play-in games.
The eight teams competing for a spot in the 68-team field include No. 16 seed UC San Diego vs. Southern in Region 1; No. 11 seed Columbia vs. Washington in Region 2; No. 16 seed High Point vs. William & Mary in Region 3; and No. 11 seed Iowa State vs. Princeton, also in Region 3.
Watch women's First Four live with Fubo (free trial)
Games will start on Wednesday, March 19, and run through Thursday, March 20.
While the men's NCAA Tournament has played the First Four round since 2011, this marks the fourth year of the women's side doing it. The first of the First Four games on the women's side were played in 2022. The First Four games for the women's side all occur at the courts of four of the top 16 national seeds, which will be used as the neutral court for the women's First Four games.
The winner of UC San Diego vs. Southern on the No. 16 seed line will advance to play UCLA, the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, out of Region 1. The winner of Columbia vs. Washington on the 11 seed line in Region 2 will advance to play West Virginia in Region 2.
Region 3 will see half the women's First Four field. The winner of High Point and William & Mary will advance to play Texas in the 1-16 game, whereas the winner of No. 11 seeds Iowa State and Princeton will advance to take on No. 6 seed Michigan.
Here's what you need to know about who is competing in the First Four in the NCAA Tournament, including TV channel, tip-off time information and more:
Who is in the First Four of women's March Madness?
Here are the following teams in the women's First Four:
Region 1
- No. 16 UC San Diego
- No. 16 Southern
Region 2
- No. 11 Columbia
- No. 11 Washington
Region 3
- No. 11 Iowa State
- No. 11 Princeton
- No. 16 High Point
- No. 16 William & Mary
What channel is the First Four of March Madness on?
- TV channel: ESPNU | ESPN2
- Streaming options: March Madness Live app | ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
The women's First Four games will air on the ESPN family of networks, though TV channels and times are to be determined. Streaming options include the March Madness Live app, the ESPN app (with a cable login) and Fubo, the last of which offers a free trial.
When is the First Four of women's March Madness?
- Women's NCAA Tournament First Four Dates: Wednesday, March 19 to Thursday, March 20
The women's First Four will occur on Wednesday, March 19 and Thursday, March 20. Two games will be played each day. Here's a breakdown of each day of games:
Wednesday, March 19
- Game: Iowa State vs Princeton
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPNU (Fubo)
- Game: UC San Diego vs. Southern
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPNU (Fubo)
Thursday, March 20
- Game: Columbia vs. Washington
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN2 (Fubo)
- Game: High Point vs. William & Mary
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN2 (Fubo)
Where is the First Four for women's March Madness?
The First Four games will be played on the campuses of four of the top 16 overall seeds in the women's NCAA Tournament, which will serve as a neutral-site meeting between the women's First Four teams. They are broken down below:
- UC San Diego vs. Southern: Los Angeles
- Columbia vs. Washington: Chapel Hill, N.C.
- Iowa State vs. Princeton: Notre Dame, Ind.
- High Point vs. William & Mary: Austin, Texas
Women's First Four history
Here's a full list of how past First Four games have gone since it began in 2022:
2022:
- (16): Howard 55, Incarnate Word 51
- (11): Dayton 88, DePaul 57
- (16): Longwood 74, Mount St. Mary's 70
- (11): Missouri State 61, Florida State 50
2023:
- (16): Sacred Heart 57, Southern 47
- (11): Mississippi State 70, Illinois 56
- (16): Tennessee Tech 79, Monmouth 69
- (11): St. John's 66, Purdue 64
2024:
- (16): Presbyterian 49, Sacred Heart 42
- (11): Arizona 69, Auburn 59
- (16): Holy Cross 72, UT Martin 45
- (11): Vanderbilt 62, Columbia 58
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Paste BN Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.