The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee already announced the top 16 teams for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. They released them on Saturday, March 14, in alphabetical order. WVU was among these teams, meaning Morgantown, WV, is hosting NCAA Tournament games for the first time since 1992. They were awarded a four-seed in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday. The four-seed Mountaineers want Hope Coliseum packed to the brim, and the first chance to get a ticket is on Monday, March 16, at 10 a.m. ET. Read more: West Virginia to host NCAA Tournament games.
First and second round matchups
West Virginia was awarded a four-seed in Region 3, and they play 13-seed Miami (OH) in the first round of the tournament. The other teams in their region are the five and 12-seeds, Kentucky, and James Madison. Both first-round games are on Saturday. The winners of those games play in the second round on Monday in Morgantown.
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If WVU wins the first two games, it advances to the Sweet 16 in Fort Worth, Texas, the following weekend. They may play the number-one seed in the region, Texas, in Fort Worth if they get there. That is a mountain to overcome, as Texas would have a major home-court advantage. They still have to worry about the opponents in front of them, but it is a look-ahead in the bracket.
Regional hosting site
The last time the Mountaineers hosted an NCAA Tournament game was in 1992. The field consisted of just 48 teams, and WVU was a four-seed. They defeated Clemson in that second-round game to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first and only time in program history. WVU has only participated in the NCAA Tournament 16 times in its history, and this year marks the 17th appearance. Head coach Mark Kellogg wants the Mountaineers to show out in full force for this historic moment for WVU Women’s Basketball.
“We talk about being so special, and we have so much support,” Kellogg said of WVU’s fanbase. “Here we go. Women’s basketball. This is all of those things. We’re growing a brand. We’re growing women’s basketball. These kids have earned the right for this because of how hard they’ve worked.”
It is the biggest sporting event in years for WVU and the campus in Morgantown. This basketball team just won the Big 12 Tournament and showed everyone how good they are. It would be a shame if fans did not show up like they do for WVU Football or Men’s Basketball, who have had lackluster seasons recently.
“I think it would be a magical place,” Kellogg said. “I think that place is going to be packed, but I don’t know that. Like, I don’t know, but I just feel like when I see other sports, and you see a football weekend, then you see men’s games, and we’ve said I want people in the upper bowl…I want to challenge everybody. Come on, like now, let’s go, Mountaineer family.”
The Mountaineers went 14-3 at home this season, and are 44-5 at home over the last three seasons. Tickets go on sale for the general public at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, March 16.
I will always believe that one of the best, if not THE best game ever played in WV, was the Women’s BB game where all but 5 WV players got ejected at half time. The remaining 5 players played the entire 2nd half with no rest and beat a ranked team. That feat was nothing less than FANTASTIC!!! UNHEARD OF!!