Gophers to host first two rounds of NCAA tournament
Source: https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/gophers-host-first-two-rounds-ncaa-tournament Parent: https://twin-cities.umn.edu
Gophers to host first two rounds of NCAA tournament
March 16, 2026
The women's basketball team celebrates at Williams Arena on March 15 as it's announced as a No. 4 seed during the NCAA's Selection Show. Photo: Claudia Staut
If it seems like a long time since “Minnesota” has appeared on NCAA basketball tournament brackets, it has been. The Gopher men’s team was last in the tournament in 2019, while the women’s team’s last appearance was in 2018.
That latter streak has come to a decisive halt. On Saturday, the NCAA announced that the Gopher women would be one of 16 teams to host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, and on Sunday the brackets crystalized. The Gophers (13-5 in the Big Ten, 22-8 overall) will play Green Bay on Friday, March 20, at Williams Arena. With a win they would then take on the winner of Ole Miss vs. Gonzaga for a berth in the Sweet 16.
The details of the Gophers’ bracket were revealed during a live broadcast of ESPN’s Selection Sunday show at The Barn in front of the team, family, friends, some fans, the pep band and cheerleaders. When the Gophers were announced as the No. 4 seed in Region 2, the team erupted in unison.
Shortly after, head coach Dawn Plitzuweit thanked the administration for having the confidence to reserve Williams Arena well in advance for this coming weekend, as well as the fans who now have the opportunity to support the team at home for potentially two more games.
“For our young ladies this is really special,” Plitzuweit says. And also “for our program, for our university, certainly for our community and I think for this region.”
A historically good team
Plitzuweit’s Gophers have reached 20-plus wins for a third consecutive season. After missing out on an NCAA berth last year, the Gophers ran off five straight victories to win the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT).
That provided a springboard for this season.The 13 Big Ten victories ties a team record. And key to this season was a program-tying nine-game winning streak — taking the Gophers from 3-4 to 12-4 in the Big Ten — which is all the more impressive given that 12 conference teams were chosen for the NCAA tournament.
The Gophers already have victories against two top-10 teams — Iowa on the road and Ohio State at home — and are 13-3 in the friendly confines of Williams Arena.
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This year’s Gophers are built on a stingy defense, which allowed an average of only 57.9 points per game and held teams to 50 points or fewer 11 times.
They also feature incredible balance, with all five starters — Amaya Battle, Mara Braun, Tori McKinney, Grace Grocholski, and Sophie Hart — averaging between 10.9 and 13.1 points per game. Add in a healthy aversion to turnovers (only 10.9 per game) and a high degree of grit and perseverance, and they’re an easy team to cheer for.
Historical precedents
In the 2018 NCAA tournament, the 10th-seeded Gophers knocked off No. 7 Green Bay 89-77 in the first round at Eugene, Ore., but fell to the second-seeded Oregon Ducks 101-73 in the second round.
But for home tournament games, there’s been a shining history. The last time the Golden Gophers played host to the first two rounds of the tournament was in 2005, and they produced wins over St. Francis and Virginia to reach the Sweet 16.
The year before was an even better story — one that’s etched in the memories of long-time Gopher fans. That team was under the radar as a No. 7 seed in the 2004 NCAA tournament. But a second-round drubbing of No. 2 Kansas State launched them to two more wins (over third-seeded Boston College and top-seed Duke) to reach the Final Four.
No one would dare to look that far ahead this year, but it’s nice to be home for the start of March Madness.
“It’s everything we could ask for. The Barn is an amazing place to play, especially when it’s full,” says Braun, who had to miss last year’s WBIT tourney due to a second serious foot injury. “So, hoping to get this place packed, and it’s just going to help us that much more.”
Adds Plitzuweit: “We have an opportunity to put our brand — Minnesota women’s basketball — on a national stage, and that’s really important for us. To continue growing it is something this tournament provides an opportunity to do, and hosting gives you an opportunity to do it at another level.”\
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