Similar to what the men are doing, in a warmer location.
The full 2021 NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament will be held in San Antonio, the NCAA confirmed Friday, marking the biggest event in the city since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold last March.
Sixty-four teams will fill an estimated 35,000 hotel rooms in San Antonio, competing in 63 games televised on ESPN networks between March 21 and April 4, culminating with the Final Four in the Alamodome.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the effect on the region is “immeasurable.”
“We jumped at the opportunity, knowing not only that San Antonio is the best tournament site in the nation, but that we have proven the ability to host events safely during this very challenging time,” Nirenberg said.
He compared the NCAA’s approach to COVID-19 health and safety protocols to the NBA’s “bubble” last year in Orlando, Fla.
The NCAA said no decision has been reached regarding fan attendance.
Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball, said those determinations will be based on the health guidelines in each county, as well as limitations in place at each venue. The first priority, Holzman said, is accommodating up to six friends and family for each athlete, if possible.
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After the field is selected March 15, teams will travel with a maximum of 34 individuals, arriving in San Antonio during the following two days.
Regular testing will also be conducted on site, with players under guidelines to minimize social interaction. Occupancy in selected hotels will be limited to only team personnel subject to testing, with all practices taking place on nine courts in the Convention Center or the two courts at the Alamodome.
Opening-round games March 21-22 will be split between the Alamodome, the Bill Greehey Arena at St. Mary’s University, the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas State University’s Events Center in San Marcos and the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Convocation Center.
The second round will be held March 23-24 at the three San Antonio venues, with teams converging on the Alamodome for the Sweet 16 on March 27-28, the Elite Eight on March 29-30 and the Final Four from April 2-4.
Holzman said many of the NCAA’s specific testing and medical protocols are expected to be finalized next week.
See here and here for the comparison to what the men are doing, and here for the NCAA’s announcement. I don’t know what decision they will make about allowing fans beyond the families of the players, but I will note that the Bill Greehey Arena has a capacity of three thousand, so they’ll probably be playing the lower-profile games there. With or without anyone in attendance, a small venue like that is quite the contrast for such a bigtime event to the usual kind of places that serve as host. Given that the tournament was going to happen regardless of the wisdom of having it, this is probably the right answer. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that neither this nor the men’s tournament are bad ideas in this environment, and hope that the organizers can keep it from becoming a superspreader event.