Pittsburgh Tips Off Ultimate NCAA Basketball Weekend

PITTSBURGH – Members of the Pittsburgh (PGH) Local Organizing Committee – including County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Mayor Ed Gainey, SportsPITTSBURGH, Duquesne University and the Presidents’ Athletic Conference – gathered today at The Westin Pittsburgh and officially opened the Ultimate NCAA Basketball Weekend in Pittsburgh, featuring 12 teams playing in nine games over four days in two championship events.

The Presidents’ Athletic Conference and SportsPITTSBURGH will co-host the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship March 17 & 19 at Duquesne University’s brand new UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

The first women’s semifinal between Amherst College and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will tip at 5 p.m. Thursday. The second semifinal between Hope College and Trine University will follow at 7:30 p.m. The winners will meet in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Championship on Saturday, March 19, at 2 p.m., on CBS Sports Network.

Also this weekend, Duquesne University and SportsPITTSBURGH will co-host the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball First & Second Rounds March 18 & 20 at PPG Paints Arena. Action begins on Friday, March 18, with four first round games:

• Game One: No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Loyola Chicago | 12:15 p.m. | CBS
• Game Two: No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 15 Delaware | 2:45 p.m. | CBS
• Game Three: No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 13 Chattanooga | 6:50 p.m. | TNT
• Game Four: No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 UAB | 9:20 p.m. | TNT

The winners will meet in the second round on Sunday, March 20, with game times to be determined.

Tickets remain for both championship events. Fans can purchase tickets for the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship through Duquesne’s ticket office. Single-session tickets for the men’s first and second rounds can be purchased at ncaa.com/mbbtickets.

Combined, the two championship events are expected to draw thousands of out-of-town visitors, resulting in an estimated $10.5+ million in direct visitor spend; this is a $2 million increase from when Pittsburgh last welcomed the men’s tournament in 2018.

“I would like to thank the NCAA for again placing its trust in Pittsburgh and the Local Organizing Committee and for providing us with the unique opportunity to host two NCAA championship events over one weekend,” SportsPITTSBURGH Executive Director Jennifer Hawkins said. “Our Local Organizing Committee has worked tirelessly over the last year to prepare for this exciting weekend, and we are ready to welcome these 12 talented teams, their families and fans to the City of Champions.”

In addition to competing for the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship, the first awarded since 2019, the four women’s teams also will partner with SisterFriend, a local nonprofit, to assemble 2,000 feminine hygiene care packages for Pittsburgh Public Schools students.

“The PAC is excited to provide a dynamic student-athlete championship experience for the top Division III women’s basketball teams in the country this weekend in Pittsburgh,” said Joe Onderko, Commissioner of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. “These teams have worked hard for the right to compete for a national title, and this is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase Division III sports to a supportive Pittsburgh community.”

County Executive Fitzgerald and Mayor Gainey proclaimed March 17-20 as the Ultimate NCAA Basketball Weekend in Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh, respectively.

“Duquesne University is proud to again partner with SportsPITTSBURGH and PPG Paints Arena in hosting the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds,” added Dave Harper, Vice President of Athletics for Duquesne University. “Together, we routinely deliver exceptional championship experiences for everyone involved, but most especially for the student-athletes, coaches and fans. We look forward to another thrilling weekend of basketball in Pittsburgh.”

About Presidents’ Athletic Conference
Currently comprised of 11 select private institutions – Allegheny College, Bethany College, Chatham University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Geneva College, Grove City College, Saint Vincent College, Thiel College, Washington & Jefferson College, Waynesburg University and Westminster College – the PAC remains a unique organization in this day of high-pressure intercollegiate athletics, with academics at the center of each member’s philosophy. The PAC, which recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, crowns league champions and awards all-conference honors in its 23 championship sports.

About Duquesne University
Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of nearly 9,500 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University’s academic programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh region have earned national acclaim.

About SportsPITTSBURGH
As a division of VisitPITTSBURGH, SportsPITTSBURGH’s primary goal is to attract and host a wide variety of sporting events while providing planners and local stakeholders with the expertise and professionalism required to host a world-class event in the Pittsburgh region.

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