legacy arena — (Jacob Blankenship/ Bham Now)

Did you become a big Women’s NCAA basketball fan, thanks to the newly crowned champion South Carolina Gamecocks or the national obsession with Iowa’s Caitlin Clark?

If so, you may want to dust off your 2025 calendar and place a reminder sticky note in March.

Birmingham is slated to host the Division I women’s basketball southern regional preliminary rounds, including the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, from March 28-31 at Legacy Arena.

It will be the first time for the women’s tournament to come to the Magic City.

Birmingham and March Madness

This will be the 2nd NCAA basketball tournament in Birmingham in three years. In 2023, our community welcomed teams from all over the nation, including Houston, Iowa and Maryland. Alabama and Auburn were also placed in the 2023 NCAA Birmingham Regional.

The NCAA schedules their tournaments years in advance. Birmingham won its bid to host the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball regionals in 2020. The expansion and renovation of Legacy Arena were credited for us landing the events.

Tad Snider, Executive Director of the BJCC believes we can build on the growing popularity of women’s college basketball and the successful 2023 men’s tournament.

“As we welcome the NCAA Women’s Tournament to Legacy Arena at the BJCC in 2025, building on the success of the men’s first and second rounds in 2023 and the record-breaking year women’s basketball has had, Birmingham and the many partners involved in bidding and securing the tournament are looking forward to a wonderful celebration of athleticism, empowerment, and unity.”
Mayor Randall Woodfin

More NCAA championships

The BJCC — Legacy Arena. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

Earlier this year, the Woodfin administration, the city council and Alabama’s U.S. Senators started campaigning for future NCAA events in Birmingham, including the NCAA basketball tournament and women’s gymnastics championships.

“By having these big events and showing that Birmingham can host different tourism events you don’t have to go to Atlanta, Nashville, or New Orleans. It’s right here. I think making sure that we’re able to show that we can show that we can handle this big event that’ll make us more viable to win that bid again for a men’s or women’s event.”
Birmingham City Councilor Crystal Smitherman

No word yet from the NCAA about the success of that big push.

Have you been to an NCAA National Championship? Tell us your favorite memory by tagging us on social media at @bhamnow.