Completed Event: Women's Basketball at #23 Alabama on February 15, 2026 , Win , 79, to, 71
Final
Women's Basketball
79
at #23 Alabama
71
University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU Lands 2008 Women's Basketball Regional
July 06, 2005 | Women's Basketball
NORMAN, Okla. -- The NCAA Women's Basketball Committee has accepted a bid entered by the University of Oklahoma and awarded one of four 2008 regionals to the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. The exact dates will be determined later, but will be either Saturday, March 29 and Monday, March 31 or Sunday, March 30 and Tuesday, April 1, 2008.
Other sites awarded for 2008 are New Orleans, Spokane, Wash., and Greensboro, NC. With 18,929 seats, the Ford Center represents the largest venue of the four.
This will mark the fifth time that Oklahoma has hosted a portion of the NCAA Championship Tournament, the second time it has hosted a regional. This is, however, the first time that OU has hosted an NCAA women's basketball tournament event in Oklahoma City.
The announcement continues Oklahoma's commitment to hosting championships. OU will host the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Ford Center and the 2006 Men's Gymnastics Championships at the Lloyd Noble Center. Each year OU serves as the host institution for the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
“I want to congratulate our staff and the women's basketball program for preparing and demonstrating that we can host high-profile championships in a first-class way,” said OU Athletics Director Joe Castiglione. “Not only have we been able to showcase our own facilities, university and community, but also those in the state of Oklahoma. We have also benefited from community support and staff that go above and beyond their normal responsibilities to host these events in such an extraordinary way.
“I think it's also important to recognize the impact of our women's basketball program under the leadership of Sherri Coale in raising the profile of the sport.”
The impact on the local economy stands to benefit, too.
“We recognize our role as a civic and state partner in bringing events of this magnitude to our area. Once the ticket sales for the regional begin it will important for fans throughout Oklahoma and this region to support those efforts by attending the games. That will only reinforce to the NCAA that Oklahoma should continue as a regular site for its various championships.”
OU head women's basketball coach Sherri Coale said the regional is evidence of the university's and state's commitment to women's basketball.
We are obviously thrilled that Oklahoma City and the Ford Center have been awarded the regional,” Coale said. “This opportunity speaks both to the venue of downtown Oklahoma City in general and the Ford Center in particular.
“We appreciate an administration that recognizes the accomplishments of our program and helps us strive for more, and also the fan support of college basketball in this great state. It's that support that helps us bid for events of this nature with confidence.”
Wednesday's announcement also included first and second-round sites and regionals for the 2007 season. The first and second-round games will be contested in Austin, Texas, East Lansing, Mich., Hartford, Conn., Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, NC, and Stanford, Calif.
The 2007 regionals will take place in Dallas, Dayton, Ohio, Greensboro, NC and Fresno, Calif.
The 2008 first and second-round games, some of which will feed to the OKC regional, will be played at Albuquerque, NM, Baton Rouge, La., Bridgeport, Conn., College Park, Md., Des Moines, Iowa, Norfolk, Va., Stanford, Calif., and West Lafayette, Ind.
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