Tar Heels women’s hoops to host 2014 NCAA tournament games

Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network
Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The North Carolina Tar Heels were selected to host first and second-round games in the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament, as announced by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Women’s Basketball Committee on Wednesday.

Other cities chosen to host early-round games in 2014 include Durham, N.C.; Ames, Iowa; Baton Rouge, La.; Chapel Hill, N.C.; College Park, Md.; College Station, Texas; Iowa City, Iowa; Knoxville, Tenn.; Lexington, Ky.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; Storrs, Conn.; Toledo, Ohio; University Park, Penn.; Waco, Texas; and West Lafayette, Ind.

Teams will then advance to the four selected regional sites in Lincoln, Neb.; Louisville, Ky.; Notre Dame, Ind., and Stanford, Calif.

“The committee continues to look for ways to create a better in-arena atmosphere for our student-athletes, improve attendance and enhance the broadcast look of the games,” said Carolayne Henry, chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and senior associate commissioner/senior woman administrator at the Mountain West Conference.

“The 2014 championship presented us with a unique opportunity for our institutional hosts during the regional rounds of play. The committee is continuing to look at other host and format options that make sense for our championship going into 2015 and beyond.”

The first and second-round sites will host games either Sat., Mar. 22, and Mon., Mar. 24, or Sun., Mar. 23, and Tues., Mar. 25, 2014.

All roads from the preliminary rounds will lead to Nashville, Tenn., site of the 2014 NCAA Women’s Final Four to be played Apr. 6 and 8 at Bridgestone Arena.