- Selection Sunday: March 16, 2025, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN).
- First Four Games: March 19-20, hosted by top 16 seeds.
- First/Second Rounds: March 21-24, at top 16 seeds' venues.
- Sweet 16 & Elite Eight: March 28-31, in Birmingham, AL, and Spokane, WA.
- Final Four: April 4, 7 p.m. ET at Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL.
- Championship Game: April 6, 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
Every game will air on ESPN or stream via the ESPN App. Join bracket pools on BettorEdge to compete with fans and track your picks. Upsets happen but are less common with the women’s bracket, pick wisely!
Quick Tip: Teams closer to regional sites historically have a higher win rate. Don't miss the action!
Introducing The Quad System to 2025 Women's NCAA Tournament
Tournament Schedule
The tournament runs for nearly three weeks, taking teams and fans through every stage of the action.
Selection Sunday Details
It all kicks off with Selection Sunday on March 16, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN will air the live bracket reveal, announcing the 68 teams competing. Once the bracket is unveiled, the tournament progresses through its structured rounds.
Tournament Rounds Calendar
Round | Dates | Host Venues |
First Four | March 19-20 | Top 16 Seeds |
First Round | March 21-22 | Top 16 Seeds |
Second Round | March 23-24 | Top 16 Seeds |
Sweet 16 | March 28-29 | Birmingham & Spokane |
Elite Eight | March 30-31 | Birmingham & Spokane |
The Top 16 seeds will host the First Four, First Round, and Second Round games. Afterward, the regional rounds move to neutral locations: Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington.
Final Four and Championship
The tournament wraps up with the Final Four and Championship at Amalie Arena:
- Final Four (April 4): The first semifinal starts at 7 p.m. ET, with the second game beginning 30 minutes later.
- Championship Game (April 6): The national title game tips off at 3 p.m. ET and will air on ABC.
Bracket Pools Guide
Dive into the excitement of the 2025 Women's NCAA Tournament by joining BettorEdge's peer-to-peer bracket pools. Compete directly with other fans and showcase your picks.
Bracket Completion Steps
BettorEdge makes it easy to create, manage, and compete with your brackets. Use these insights to make smarter picks:
- Watch the No. 12 seed matchups: These teams have a 20.5% win rate .
- Upsets are common: Expect about four upsets per tournament, with an average of 4.13 .
- First-round surprises: 58.1% of all upsets happen in the first round .
For deeper analysis, check out the tools listed below.
Bracket Analysis Tools
Here are some go-to resources for making informed picks:
- ESPN Tournament Challenge: Offers Power Rankings and biweekly Bracketology updates .
- Her Hoop Stats: Provides detailed team breakdowns and bracketology projections .
Round | Average Upsets | Historical Range |
First Round | 2.4 | 1–5 |
Second Round | 1.53 | 0–4 |
Sweet 16 | 0.10 | 0–1 |
Elite Eight | 0.10 | 0–1 |
BettorEdge Advantages
Choosing BettorEdge comes with plenty of perks:
- No Fees: Join or create bracket pools without paying extra charges.
- Simplified Management: Let the platform handle dues, payouts, and results tracking.
- Community Features: Follow top-performing players and share your betting picks with others.
- Legal and Accessible: Available in 45+ states with easy age verification through KYC .
One last tip: Teams seeded 14–16 have historically struggled, holding a combined tournament record of just 1-360 .
Tournament Venues
As the tournament progresses, later rounds are held at neutral locations to ensure fairness.
Sweet 16 and Elite Eight Sites
The regional rounds will take place at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington. Data shows that teams playing closer to home have a 59% win rate since 2003. If a team is 1,000 miles closer to the venue than their opponent, their chances of winning jump to nearly 75%. For the Final Four and championship games, the action shifts to a specially chosen neutral site.
Amalie Arena Details
The Final Four and championship game will be hosted at Amalie Arena (401 Channelside Drive, Tampa, Florida). Here’s what the venue offers:
Amenity Type | Details |
Premium Seating | Executive Suites with 18 tickets per suite |
Access Points | Suite Entrance at Gate C for easy entry |
Security | Clear bag policy (size limit: 12x12x12 inches) |
Dining Options | Concert Club with specialty menus and concessions |
The arena also includes meeting and conference spaces to support team preparations and media operations. During the Final Four weekend (April 4–6), the venue will handle the increased media presence and accommodate a large number of fans.
"Most of the focus when the N.C.A.A. tournament bracket is revealed on Sunday will be on how teams are seeded and what sort of opponents they're due to face - and which teams make the field of 68 at all. But there is another factor that can make just as much difference: where the games are played." – Nate Silver, Founder and Editor in Chief of FiveThirtyEight
Quick Reference Guide
Here's a quick look at the key dates, locations, and bracket pool details for the tournament.
Event | Date & Time | Location/Platform |
Selection Sunday | March 16, 8 p.m. ET | ESPN |
First Four | March 19-20 | Top 16 Seeds |
First/Second Rounds | March 21-24 | Top 16 Seeds Host |
Regional Rounds | March 28-31 | Birmingham & Spokane |
Final Four | April 4, 7 p.m. ET | Amalie Arena, Tampa |
Championship | April 6, 3 p.m. ET | Amalie Arena, Tampa |
You can join free or premium bracket pools with automated scoring and instant payouts at . The BettorEdge mobile app also offers detailed performance analytics and easy pool management.
Stay updated throughout the tournament by downloading the BettorEdge app from your app store. For more in-depth analysis and strategies, check out the sections above.