The NCAA has announced future sites for three women's championships -- the Women's Frozen Four, the Women's College Cup and the Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.

The NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Committee has selected the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in Duluth, Minnesota, as the site for the 2003 Women's Frozen Four.

The University of Minnesota, Duluth, will host the event, which will be played March 21 and March 23.

The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, which has a capacity of 5,333, played host to the 1981 Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship.

This will mark the third year that the NCAA has administered a championship for women's ice hockey and the second year that the championship will be held in the state of Minnesota. The 2001 Women's Frozen Four was held at Mariucci Arena and hosted by the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. The 2002 championship will be held in Durham, New Hampshire, at the Whittemore Center Arena March 23 and March 25. The University of Minnesota, Duluth, women's team captured the inaugural women's ice hockey championship in 2001.

"We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to bring the Women's Frozen Four to Duluth," said Bob Corran, director of athletics at Minnesota-Duluth. "There is a rich history of girls' and women's hockey in northeastern Minnesota, and hosting the Frozen Four in Duluth will add another chapter to that history."

Women's ice hockey is a National Collegiate championship, which means that eligible institutions that sponsor the sport in Divisions I and II will be considered for the championship.

For ticket information regarding the 2003 Women's Ice Hockey Championship, contact the Minnesota-Duluth ticket office at 218/726-8595.

Women's College Cup

North Carolina State University and the Capital Area Soccer League in Raleigh, North Carolina, will host the 2003 and 2004 Women's College Cups, scheduled for December 5 and 7, 2003, and December 3 and 5, 2004.

The seating capacity of State Capital Soccer Park is 10,000. It is the home arena for the Carolina Courage of the Women's USA (United Soccer Association).

"We're excited about hosting this event, especially with the strong college soccer influence in the area," said Charlie Slagle, chief executive officer of the Capital Area Soccer League. "This a new arena, set to open in a month, and we have 12,000 players from youngsters to adults associated with the league."

The 2002 championship will be held in Austin, Texas, at the Mike A. Myers Stadium, December 6 and 8.

Women's volleyball

In another site-selection announcement, the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Committee chose sites for the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Division I Women's Volleyball Championships.

The Alamodome in San Antonio will be the site for the 2005 championship, hosted by the University of Texas at San Antonio. The event will be held December 15 and 17.

In 2006, the championship will be at the Omaha Convention Center and Arena in Omaha, Nebraska. The University of Nebraska, Lincoln, will host the event December 14 and 16.

The 2007 championship will be at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California, December 13 and 15. California State University, Sacramento, will serve as host.

The 2002 Division I Women's Volleyball Championship will be held in New Orleans December 19 and 21, and the 2003 championship will be held in Dallas December 18 and 20. Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California, will be the site of the 2004 championship December 16 and 18.

For ticket information regarding the 2002 championship, contact the New Orleans Arena ticket office at 504/587-3800.