Cole Pepper
Before the men’s Final Four tips off Saturday in San Antonio, the women’s Final Four opens Friday in Tampa with Texas facing South Carolina (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), followed by Connecticut facing UCLA.
This year marks the fourth time that Tampa has hosted the women’s Final Four, more than any other city.
The games will be held at Amalie Arena, which has forced the Tampa Bay Lightning to play on the road for four straight games. The Lightning return home Wednesday.
The University of South Florida serves as the host school.
Three of the four teams remaining in the field were No. 1 seeds in their respective regions. Only Connecticut was a No. 2 seed.
There is plenty of history represented by the programs. Texas won a national championship in 1986 when the Longhorns went 34-0. In their first season in the Southeastern Conference, Texas shared the regular season championship with South Carolina, their opponent Friday.
The teams split a pair of games in the regular season, with each squad winning on its home floor.
South Carolina beat Texas 64-45 on March 9 in the SEC Tournament final. The Gamecocks have won two of the last three national championships, winning last year in an undefeated season and in 2022 when they beat Connecticut. They also won in 2017.
Connecticut boasts years of high-level success. The Huskies have won 10 national championships under head coach Geno Auriemma, the last coming in 2016 when the Huskies completed a perfect season with a convincing win over Syracuse. UConn’s 2015 national championship was won in Tampa.
UCLA has the least number of NCAA laurels in women’s basketball among the Final Four teams. The Bruins won a national championship in 1978 before women’s basketball became an NCAA-sanctioned sport. In those days, the game was managed by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). It was not until 1982 that the NCAA began sponsoring women’s sports. This is the first time UCLA has earned a spot in the NCAA Final Four in women’s basketball.
Around the event, Tourney Town at the Tampa Convention Center runs until 5 p.m. while a Party on the Plaza at Cotanchobee Park is scheduled from 2-7 p.m. Gates open for the semifinal games starting at 5:30 p.m.
On Saturday, a full day of festivities is planned for the area. Tourney Town opens at the Tampa Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Another Party on the Plaza at Cotanchobee Park runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The winning teams from Friday’s games will practice at the Amalie Arena beginning at 1 p.m. The practices are open to the public, but free tickets are required for entry.
A Saturday night concert at Curtis Hixon Park featuring DJ ReRe and GloRilla begins with doors opening at 6 p.m.
The National Championship game is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. Sunday.
The Tampa Chamber of Commerce estimates the region will gain more than $30 million of economic impact from hosting the Final Four.
