NCAA tabs eight teams to play at Arena at Harbor Yard | Press Releases

Selection Monday has arrived and the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee has announced the Field of 64 that will vie for the 2008 National Championship. Fairfield University will host eight teams in the First and Second Rounds, March 22-25 at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn. The site will have four teams playing in the New Orleans Regional and four teams playing in the Greensboro Regional.

The first round games will begin on Sunday at noon, as fifth-ranked Kansas State University will take on 12th seeded University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, in the New Orleans Regional. The Wildcats earned an at-large bid to the tournament, after putting up a 21-9 record as a member of the Big XII Conference. The Mocs, with a 29-3 record, enter the tournament with an automatic bid, having won the Southern Conference Tournament title.

The second New Orleans Regional game will feature the number four-seed, University of Louisville, taking on the 13th-seeded Miami University (Ohio). The Cardinal enter the tournament with 24-9 record and earned an at-large berth, after advancing to the Big East Conference tournament final. The RedHawks earned an automatic berth to the tournament by winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament title, and have compiled a 23-10 overall record.

The top-seed in the field is the University of Connecticut, which is ranked first in the Greensboro Regional. The Huskies, 32-1, and winners of the Big East Conference tournament title, will take on 16th ranked Cornell University, at 7 p.m. on Sunday. The Big Red captured the Ivy League crown with a 20-8 record after winning a three-team playoff.

The University of Texas is the number eight seed in the region and will take on number-nine seed, University of Minnesota in the second game of the Sunday evening session. The Longhorns enter the tournament at 21-12, and earned an at-large bid to the tournament as a member of the Big XII Conference. The Golden Gophers boast a 20-11 record an earned an at-large berth from the Big Ten Conference.

Fans can purchase tickets at the Arena at Harbor Yard box office by calling (203) 345-4904. Fans can visit www.FairfieldStags.com to print out a ticket order form, which can be faxed to the box office at (203) 345-4914.

Fairfield is hosting an NCAA women's basketball event for the third time in five seasons. The Stags first hosted a First and Second Round in 2004, as UConn advanced to the Sweet 16 with a pair of wins. In 2006, Fairfield and the Arena played host to the Bridgeport Regional, which was won by Duke University, defeating the Huskies in the regional final.

Media Contact: Chris O'Connor, (203) 254-4000