1982 -- The first tournament field consists of 32 teams, including 13 automatic qualifiers; CBS televises the championship game.

1985 -- ESPN televises its first tournament games (two regional finals and both national semifinals).

1986 -- The bracket expands to 40 teams; ESPN televises all four regional finals and national semifinals, while CBS continues its live coverage of the championship game.

1989 -- Bracket expansion grows the field to 48 teams, with 21 AQs.

1994 -- The current 64-team field is adopted; 16 teams are seeded nationally, with the remainder placed in the bracket according to geographical proximity.

1996 -- ESPN begins a seven-year agreement to be the exclusive broadcast network for the tournament; all teams are seeded nationally for the first time.

1998 -- The NCAA employs a general public drawing for the first time to allot Women's Final Four tickets.

2001 -- ESPN increases its tournament coverage to 30 games.

2002 -- The Women's Final Four sets its all-time attendance mark of 29,619 in the Alamodome, the first domed facility with a capacity of more than 20,000 to host the event.

2003 -- First- and second-round games are conducted at 16 predetermined sites for the first time; all 63 games are televised live on ESPN and ESPN2; the women's basketball committee receives approval to conduct first- and second-round games at eight predetermined sites rather than 16 beginning with the 2005 championship.