Field Set for NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional In Portland – Sport Oregon Voices

West Coast teams USC, Stanford and Gonzaga among eight-team contingent to play at Moda Center this weekend

With the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament now down to the Sweet 16, Portland is about to join the fray of March Madness in full effect this weekend as it welcomes the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional to the city beginning Friday. The four-day event will feature six games across four days and will determine two of the teams that will advance to play in the Final Four in Cleveland, starting Friday, April 5.

This year’s Portland Regional, hosted by Oregon State University, will feature many of the top programs in the country, including Texas, the No. 1 seed in Portland Region 3, and No. 1 seed USC, the Pac-12 Tournament champion representing Portland Region 4. USC features Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Associated Press All-America selection, JuJu Watkins.  

This weekend’s action also includes No. 2 seed Stanford, which features standout forward Cameron Brink. She is a former Oregon 6A Player of the Year who played at Southridge High School and Mountainside High School before beginning her decorated collegiate career. The field also features area favorite Gonzaga, the No. 4 seed coming out of Portland Region 4. Gonzaga finished with a perfect regular-season record in the West Coast Conference this season.

The Friday session will feature Texas taking on Gonzaga, and Stanford going up against No. 3 seed North Carolina State in Portland Region 4 play. On Saturday, USC will play No. 5 seed Baylor, while UConn, the three seed in Portland Region 3, will tip off against No. 7 seed Duke, which defeated No. 2 seed Ohio State to advance to Portland as the lowest remaining seed in the tournament.

The two winners of Friday’s Portland Region 4 games will advance to the Elite 8 game that will be played Sunday at 12 noon (PDT) at Moda Center. Saturday’s Portland Region 3 winners will play in the remaining Elite 8 game at Moda Center on Monday night at 6 p.m. (PDT). 

Tickets are available for all four sessions of the Portland Regional. Fans also can purchase an all-session package that includes tickets to all six games.

Session 1 – Friday, March 29 (Portland Region 4)
2 Stanford vs. 3 North Carolina State – 4:30 p.m. (PDT)
1 Texas vs. 4 Gonzaga – 7 p.m. (PDT)

Session 2 – Saturday, March 30 (Portland Region 3)
1 USC vs. 5 Baylor – 2:30 p.m. (PDT)
3 UConn vs. 7 Duke – 5 p.m. (PDT)

Session 3 – Sunday, March 31 (Portland Region 4)
Winner of Texas/Gonzaga vs. Winner of Stanford/North Carolina State – 12 noon (PDT)

Session 4 – Monday, April 1 (Portland Region 3)
Winner of USC/Baylor vs. Winner of UConn/Duke – 6 p.m. (PDT)

Previously, Portland hosted one of the tournament’s most successful women’s regionals, drawing a crowd of 11,538 for the final game of the regional between Oregon and Mississippi State during the 2019 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. This year marks the first time the city will host the new format of the tournament. This weekend’s regional features eight teams – as opposed to four in 2019 – and includes four days of games.

In addition, Portland has played host to the men’s first and second rounds six times, the last being in 2022.

Organizing officials in Portland are excited to use the additional experience gained from this year’s expanded regional as they continue preparations and planning for the 2030 NCAA Women’s Final Four, which will be played at Moda Center and hosted by the University of Portland. The city’s first Women’s Final Four was awarded to Portland in late 2022 after a months-long, collaborative bid effort from Sport Oregon, Travel Portland, the University of Portland and the Rose Quarter/Portland Trail Blazers.

First things first, though. Portland officials are ready and eager to put on another top-notch regional this year, one that once again showcases the incredible passion the city and state have for women’s athletics.

“We’ve all been hard at work and looking forward to this regional event for a long while,” said Matt Reed, chief operating officer for Sport Oregon. “Hosting this year’s regional in Portland is another major highlight in our long history of hosting NCAA basketball here in the city. It is a perfect buildup to our hosting the 2030 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Portland.”

With such national appeal, this weekend’s games present the city with a massive opportunity in terms of tourism. Additionally, it gives the passionate fans of Portland and the surrounding area the chance to see such high-caliber college basketball played in their own backyard.

This weekend’s NCAA Women’s Regional in Portland is estimated to have more than $3 million in direct economic impact to the area, with approximately 3,500 hotel rooms, alone, booked as part of the allotment reserved specifically for teams, coaches, administrators, schools and others directly affiliated with the games. Those room-night numbers continue to rise when you add in fans traveling from outside the area to Portland.

So, hold on to your hats, Portland. It promises to be an exciting weekend of women’s basketball at Moda Center.

Fan Fest Saturday
On Saturday from 12 – 5 p.m. (PDT), the NCAA Women's Basketball Regional Fan Fest will take over the Rose Quarter in the plaza between Moda Center and Dr. Jack’s. This free, family-friendly event will feature local vendors, basketball hoops, arcade games, DJs, and more. Dr. Jack’s will open for food, drinks, and streaming live games. No game ticket needed — everyone can be part of the madness.