Women’s Bracketology: Iowa and Texas ascend to the top line

Women’s Bracketology: 2024 NCAA tournamentBy Charlie Creme Updated: 3/9/2024 at 9:20 a.m. ET

Bracketology is hitting overdrive in its 21st season on ESPN.com. Champ Week is here, and we will frequently update our projection of the field of 68 right into Selection Sunday on March 17. Albany, New York, and Portland, Oregon, will host the regionals, as the two-site format remains for a second consecutive year. It all culminates in Cleveland at the Final Four on April 5 and 7.

Bracket WatchIowa is one of two new No. 1 seeds. Thanks to Maryland’s shockingly comfortable upset of Ohio State, which was the No. 3 overall team, and the Hawkeyes’ dismantling of Penn State on Friday, Iowa moves to the top line for the first time since Feb 19. If the Hawkeyes win the Big Ten tournament — and that path got even clearer when Michigan eliminated Indiana — Iowa will be a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday. And despite not playing Friday, Texas joins the top line as well. Still waiting to play in the Big 12 tournament, the Longhorns are the beneficiaries of USC’s double-overtime win over UCLA, which knocked the Bruins from a No. 1 seed. Texas’ hold on a No. 1 is far from secure. The Longhorns likely have to win the Big 12 tournament and/or hope that USC beat Stanford to win the Pac-12.

On the Bubble68-Team BracketAlbany 1ColumbiaBloomingtonCorvallisColumbusPortland 4 AustinSpokaneRaleighLos AngelesPortland 2StanfordSouth BendStorrsBaton RougeAlbany 3Iowa CityNormanCorvallisAustinConference BreakdownPhoto illo by ESPN Illustration, additional photos courtesy of Getty Images, Associated Press, Imagn, Icon Sportswire, EPA/Shutterstock