From dramatic buzzer-beating finishes in the 2018 NCAA Women’s Final Four to the hosting leaders in the sport at the first ever COMMITTED event, it’s safe to say that Columbus has been an epicenter of collegiate women’s basketball action in recent years.
In fact, Columbus has committed to hosting an NCAA women’s basketball championship event, at either the Division I, II or III level, each year since 2016. That trend will continue through 2021 when the NCAA Division II Elite Eight returns to Columbus for the third time in five years.
But the next NCAA women’s basketball event is just around the corner. The NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship will be held at Capital University on March 20-21.
Columbus will get the chance to welcome the top four teams in Division III for both the semifinals and national championship games at the Capital Center Performance Arena. We know Columbus is wild about women’s basketball, but here’s a few reasons to follow the action:
It’s More Than Just Three Games
When Columbus hosted the semifinals of the DIII championship in 2016, it was easy to see the city’s commitment to supporting women’s basketball. The community’s hospitality partners, including the Sports Commission and Capital University, prepared a semifinal experience that included all the excitement of a national championship.
Columbus will do so once again this year with a banquet to celebrate the student-athletes’ achievements on and off the court, personalized touches throughout the championship, community service opportunities for the teams with Special Olympics Ohio and, of course, three action-packed games with a national championship trophy presentation to follow. The championship will truly be an experience in Columbus for these student-athletes!
Capital University’s Women’s Basketball Legacy
The program may be playing host in 2020, but Capital Women’s Basketball has its fair share of winning history. Head Coach Dixie Jeffers has been at the helm of the program since 1986, racking up two back-to-back NCAA Championships, 15 NCAA Tournament appearances and 10 Ohio Athletic Conference regular season titles in that time. She has collected coaching milestones, including becoming one of just 13 coaches in NCAA history to reach the 700-win mark.
As dedicated as Jeffers is to Capital Women’s Basketball, it’s no wonder that she shows equal enthusiasm about creating an excellent event for all the student-athletes who visit her campus during the NCAA DIII Women’s Basketball Championship.
All-Star Showing for DIII Seniors
For the second year in a row, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) will host the Beyond Sports Women’s Collegiate All-Star Game in conjunction with the NCAA DIII Women’s Basketball Championship. The game will feature the most outstanding senior student-athletes across Division III women’s basketball as they close out their collegiate basketball careers with an all-star send-off.
The All-Star Game will take place on Saturday, March 20, at 5 p.m. before the national championship game.
Columbus is truly a city that loves supporting women’s sports, and the NCAA DIII Women’s Basketball Championship is no exception! The championship weekend begins on Friday, March 20, with semifinal games at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Capital Center Performance Arena. A DIII national champion will be crowned on Saturday, March 21, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
You can get more info on the championship on the Sports Commission’s event calendar.