The Division I Women's Basketball Committee has set tentative times for the 2001 Women's Final Four.

Meeting October 23-25 in St. Louis, the committee determined that the semifinal games will be played at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Central time March 29. The championship game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. March 31.

The committee also looked into the future, calling for bids to be released in November for the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Women's Final Fours. The committee increased the minimum seating capacity for the championship to 18,000 and will determine the hosts for future championships at its June meeting.

"Typically we have gone two years out with bids for the Women's Final Four," said Donna Noonan, vice-president for the Division I Women's Basketball Championship. "With the individual sporting facilities bidding so far out for several major events, we thought it was important to get into the mix early on to guarantee the best venues for our championship."

The seating for the 2002 Women's Final Four in San Antonio is 30,373, and it will be the first time that the women's championship will be played in a dome. The largest crowd to witness a Women's Final Four was 23,291 at the 1996 championship game in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"This should be a good opportunity to showcase our championship," said Sue Donohoe, NCAA director for the Division I Women's Basketball Championship. "We have a great demand for tickets right now, and we have a great opportunity to enhance the growth of the game."

The committee also voted to include a session on sports-wagering awareness for the teams participating in the Women's Final Four. Each team will participate in a session with Deana Garner, NCAA agent and gambling representative, during the open practice day.

"As the women's game has grown in popularity, so too, has the interest in wagering on the games," Garner said. "We need to provide our women's teams with strong education and resources."