Where to watch women’s NCAA Tournament selection show: TV channel, live stream

Selection Sunday has arrived and the full field of 68 teams will be revealed for the NCAA women’s basketball tournament on Sunday evening. Defending national champion UConn enters the tournament with a perfect 34-0 record and will likely be the No. 1 overall seed. Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma will attempt to win his 13th national title in the coming weeks with a team led by Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, but the Huskies should face stiff competition as the March Madness tournament deepens.

UCLA, Texas and South Carolina are other top contenders and are also expected to receive the top seed Sunday night.

Tennessee, meanwhile, heads into the Big Dance with seven straight losses. The Lady Vols struggled late in the regular season and were eliminated early from the SEC tournament. They’ve made every NCAA tournament since the first in 1982, and that streak isn’t expected to end this year.

Women’s Bracketology: 2026 NCAA Tournament Final Projections for a Field of 68

Connor Groel

Of course, there will be plenty of attention on the bubble on Selection Sunday. Stanford is a team that might be feeling particularly nervous. The Cardinal, who is not part Projected Field of 68 by CBS Sportsare set to miss the Big Dance for a second year in a row. Prior to last year, the program had appeared in 36 consecutive tournaments under the direction of Tara VanDerveer.

Here’s everything you need to prepare for women’s basketball selection Sunday.

Where to watch Sunday Selection

Date: Sunday March 15 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN | Live broadcast: fubo (try for free)

Women’s NCAA Tournament Schedule

• First four: March 18-19
• First round: March 20-21 | Second round: March 22-23
• Sweet 16: March 27 and 28 in Fort Worth and Sacramento
• Elite Eight: March 29-30 in Fort Worth and Sacramento
• Final four: Friday April 3 in Phoenix
• Championship match: Sunday April 5 in Phoenix

How the 68 field is selected

A total of 68 teams will participate in the NCAA DI women’s basketball tournament, with 31 of those teams earning an automatic matchup by winning their respective conference tournaments.

The remaining 37 teams will be handpicked by a 12-member selection committee and revealed on Selection Sunday. Decisions are based on resumes with criteria including overall record, significant wins and strength of schedule.

The top 16 teams – revealed on Saturday – gain home-field advantage over the first weekend by hosting first and second round matches. This year, the regionals (Sweet 16 and Elite Eight) will take place in Sacramento and Fort Worth. The Final Four and championship game will take place in Phoenix.

Sunday selection scenarios

Can UCLA steal the top spot overall?

At this point, it’s safe to predict that UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina will be the top four seeds, but the order may not be fully determined yet.

UConn will enter the NCAA Tournament undefeated for the 11th time in program history. This is one of the most complete teams Geno Auriemma has had in some time, and the Huskies have shown their strength on both ends of the court with some very lopsided victories. However, UConn’s strength of schedule wasn’t particularly challenging, especially in Big East play. UCLA faced greater competition playing in the Big Ten, where the Bruins finished undefeated. Their only stumble this season came in a non-conference game against Texas.

After a 51-point loss to Iowa in the Big Ten final, can UCLA steal the No. 1 seed from undefeated UConn?

Jack Maloney

After UCLA won the Big Ten tournament with a blowout victory over a top-10 Iowa team last Sunday, UConn was no longer the unanimous No. 1 in the AP Top 25. Our own Erica Ayala thinks the Bruins did enough to take the top seed from UConn, but it will be interesting to see if the committee feels the same way.

Which bubble teams have done enough?

Maggie Doogan is one of the best scorers in the country, so it would be a shame to see Richmond miss the NCAA tournament due to costly losses over the past month. According to CBS Sports bracketologist Connor Groel, the Spiders should be on the outside looking in. The same can be said for Texas A&M, a bubble team that had plenty of momentum until being upset by Kansas State in the second round of the Big 12 tournament. Stanford’s chances also could have been shattered by an overtime loss to Miami in the ACC tournament.

Several bubble teams struggled last week, which Groel said could have given Virginia and BYU a boost. Meanwhile, Molly Miller could lead Arizona State back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019. The Sun Devils put themselves in a good position with a win over Iowa State in the second round of the Big 12 tournament.