Oct. 9, 2013
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa and Carver-Hawkeye Arena have been selected by the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee to serve as one of 16 hosts for the first-and-second round of the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. Games will take place either Saturday, March 22 and Monday, March 24, or Sunday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 25 (dates to be determined, Oct. 21-23). Ticket information will be announced at a later date.
“We are extremely excited to host first and second round NCAA Tournament games again this season,” said head coach Lisa Bluder. “This gives the University of Iowa and our women’s basketball team a chance to showcase our great arena for a second-straight year. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to host this terrific event.”
The 2014 NCAA Championship will mark the 13th time the University of Iowa has served as a host. Iowa hosted its first NCAA action in 1986 when it was one of four regional final sites. Carver-Hawkeye Arena also hosted from 1986-90, 1992-94, 1996-98 and in 2009 and 2013. Carver-Hawkeye Arena has hosted the regional finals four times and first and/or second round games 11 times.
Last season, the Hawkeyes (the only Big Ten team to appear in the last six NCAA Tournaments) were an at-large selection for the NCAA Tournament, earning a No. 9 seed. Iowa knocked off No. 8 seed Miami, 69-53, in the first round before falling to No. 1 seed and second-ranked Notre Dame, 74-57. The Fighting Irish advanced to the Final Four.
“We are very pleased to be a part of the 2014 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship,” said UI Director of Athletics Gary Barta said. “We have an outstanding venue in Carver-Hawkeye Arena as well as a staff that has helped create a rich tradition in hosting NCAA championship competition. I am confident that our fans will once again show great support for NCAA women’s basketball next March.”
Iowa hosted first-and-second round games in 2009. Despite having late afternoon and evening games on a Sunday in March of 2009, Iowa’s site recorded the fourth-highest first round attendance (5,615).
In 2013, the first round of the Iowa City Regional drew 6,836 fans, which was the third-best attended site among the 16 host sites. In addition, Iowa City had the sixth-best figure for second round games (4,942) and the fifth-highest total attendance (11,778).
“The news of us hosting this year is also a testament to our amazing fan base,” said Bluder. “They have always showed great support, not only for Iowa women’s basketball, but for NCAA women’s basketball. We are very happy that our fans will get a chance to see NCAA Tournament games inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.”
The 2014 NCAA Women’s Final Four will be played April 6 and 8 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
2014 NCAA Championship First and Second Round Sites
Iowa – Iowa City, Iowa (Carver-Hawkeye Arena)
LSU – Baton Rouge, La. (Pete Maravich Assembly Center)
Maryland – College Park, Md. (Comcast Center)
Duke – Durham, N.C. (Cameron Indoor Stadium)
Tennessee – Knoxville, Tenn. (Thompson-Boling Arena)
Texas A&M – College Station, Texas (Reed Arena)
North Carolina – Chapel Hill, N.C. (Carmichael Arena)
Purdue – West Lafayette, Ind. (Mackey Arena)
Penn State – University Park, Pa. (Bryce Jordan Center)
Toledo – Toledo, Ohio (Savage Arena)
Washington – Seattle, Wash. (Alaska Airlines Arena)
UCLA – Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion)
Kentucky – Lexington, Ky. (Memorial Coliseum)
Iowa State – Ames, Iowa (Hilton Coliseum)
Connecticut – Storrs, Conn. (Gampel Pavilion)
Baylor – Waco, Texas (Ferrell Center)
2014 NCAA Championship Regional Sites
Nebraska – Lincoln, Neb. (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
Louisville – Louisville, Ky. (KFC Yum! Center)
Notre Dame – Notre Dame, Ind. (Joyce Center)
Stanford – Stanford, Calif. (Maples Pavilion)