By Thomas Ashworth | tashworth@al.com
March Madness is in the Magic City.
Eight teams will be in Birmingham for the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight for the next rounds of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
All games at the Birmingham Regional will be held at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex.
Having the tournament in Birmingham is a culmination of a multi-year effort to secure major sporting events for the city, said Councilor Hunter Williams, Chair of the Economic Development and Tourism Committee.
“Any time we’re able to host a large-scale event like this in Birmingham, and pull it off in a safe and effective way, it’s a huge win. It has a snowball effect,” Williams said. “This helps us build our resume because we’re able to show that we have the capacity to host major events and show people a great time … Sports and tourism have become a big part of our local economy and we’re going to continue working with all our regional partners — the BJCC, the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, the County and others — to keep this momentum going.”
The first game in the Sweet 16 is set for Friday at 2:30 p.m., with the first rounds of games to carry through until Saturday.
The Elite Eight games will be on Sunday at 1 p.m. and Monday at 7 p.m.; all games in Birmingham will be broadcast on ESPN.
Here’s all the teams coming to Birmingham and what to know about every team in the field:
SOUTH CAROLINA
Conference: Southeastern
Seed: No. 1
Record: 32-3 overall, 15-1 SEC
How they got here: Defeated No. 16 Tennessee Tech (108-48) and No. 9 Indiana (64-53).
Did you know? This marks the 11th straight season South Carolina has advanced to the Sweet 16.
Sweet 16 matchup: No. 4 Maryland, Friday at 4 p.m.
MARYLAND
Conference: Big Ten
Seed: No. 4
Record: 26-7 overall, 13-5 Big Ten
How they got here: Defeated No. 13 Norfolk State (82-69) and No. 5 Alabama (111-108, 2OT).
Did you know? Maryland’s double-overtime victory against Alabama on Monday is the second-highest scoring game in the history of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
Sweet 16 matchup: No. 1 South Carolina, Friday at 4 p.m.
NORTH CAROLINA
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Seed: No. 3
Record: 29-7 overall, 13-5 ACC
How they got here: Defeated No. 14 Oregon State (70-49) and No. 6 West Virginia (58-47).
Did you know? While this marks North Carolina’s first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2022, this is the program’s 19th overall appearance since the first NCAA tournament.
Sweet 16 matchup: No. 2 Duke, Friday at 1:30 p.m.
DUKE
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Seed: No. 2
Record: 28-7 overall, 14-4 ACC
How they got here: Defeated No. 15 Lehigh (86-25) and No. 10 Oregon (77-73).
Did you know? Duke holds a 63-26 record in the NCAA tournament, with its win total ranking sixth among all Division I programs.
Sweet 16 matchup: No. 3 North Carolina, Friday at 1:30 p.m.
TEXAS
Conference: Southeastern
Seed: No. 1
Record: 33-3 overall, 15-1 SEC
How they got here: Defeated No. 16 William & Mary (105-61) and No. 8 Ohio State (65-48).
Did you know? This marks the fourth time in the five seasons under head coach Vic Schaefer that Texas has advanced to the Sweet 16; the Longhorns made the Elite Eight in the three seasons they advanced to the Sweet 16.
Sweet 16 matchup: No. 5 Tennessee, Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
TENNESSEE
Conference: Southeastern
Seed: No. 5
Record: 24-9 overall, 8-8 SEC
How they got here: Defeated No. 12 South Florida (101-66) and No. 4 Ohio State (82-67).
Did you know? Tennessee has appeared in 43 straight NCAA tournaments, which is the longest active streak and makes the Lady Volunteers the only team to appear in every edition of the NCAA tournament since the first one in 1982.
Sweet 16 matchup: No. 1 Texas, Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
NOTRE DAME
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Seed: No. 3
Record: 28-5 overall, 16-2 ACC
How they got here: Defeated No. 14 Stephen F. Austin (106-54) and No. 6 Michigan (76-55)
Did you know? Notre Dame leads all Division I teams in 3-point percentage, shooting 39.26% as a team from beyond the arc.
Sweet 16 matchup: No. 2 TCU, Saturday at noon
TCU
Conference: Big 12
Seed: No. 2
Record: 33-3 overall, 16-2 Big 12
How they got here: Defeated No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson (73-51) and No. 7 Louisville (85-70).
Did you know? TCU will make its first Sweet 16 appearance in program history following a victory over Louisville in the second round of the tournament.
Sweet 16 matchup: No. 3 Notre Dame, Saturday at noon
