Site selection for the 2009 and 2010 Division I Women’s Basketball Championships occupied the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee during its June 25-29 meeting in Orlando, Florida.

In the 2009 tournament, first- and second-round games will be in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; College Park, Maryland; Columbus, Ohio; Duluth, Georgia; Lubbock, Texas; Los Angeles; and Piscataway, New Jersey.

The 2009 regional sites are Berkeley, California; Oklahoma City; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Trenton, New Jersey.

In 2010, first- and second-round games will be in Austin, Texas; Berkeley; Knoxville, Tennessee; Minneapolis; Norfolk, Virginia; South Bend, Indiana; Tempe, Arizona; and Trenton.

Dayton, Ohio; Kansas City, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; and Sacramento, California, will serve as the 2010 regional sites.

St. Louis and San Antonio already have been named as sites for the 2009 and 2010 Women’s Final Four, respectively.

"We’re pleased with the high level of interest in our championship that we found from cities, institutions and conferences across the country," said Joni Comstock, committee chair and athletics director at American University.

Since 2003, when the committee implemented the predetermined-site format, 41 different cities have hosted the 45 first- and second-round hosting opportunities. Also since 2003, 15 different cities have hosted the 16 regionals.

Committee members also met with representatives from ESPN, which broadcast all 63 games of the tournament on its family of networks. The all-sports cable company plans to feature the 2007 championship game as part of its highly coveted "full-circle coverage." The main broadcast will originate on ESPN, but other networks in the family will show the game at different views, including the "Above the Rim" camera angle atop both backboards.

ESPN used that treatment last season in a men’s game between the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Duke University and drew a rating of 3.46. It was the highest-rated regular-season basketball game in the history of ESPN and the fourth-highest-rated college or professional basketball game for the network.

In other action, the committee discussed the debut of the Monday Selection Show and other championship growth initiatives with the ESPN representatives.

The committee also met with representatives from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association executive committee, including University of Oklahoma head coach Sherri Coale, Old Dominion University head coach Wendy Larry, and Executive Director Beth Bass. WBCA Chief Operating Officer Shannon Reynolds, WBCA staff member Damaria Buford and WBCA members Carolyn Campbell McGovern, Bonnie Hendrickson, Betty Jaynes, Diane Nolan and Pam Ruder also joined. They discussed several key initiatives and issues relative to the game.

The committee reviewed and examined several bracket expansion models but agreed that expansion of the current 64-team field is not presently in the championship’s best interests.

The committee also reviewed the selection, seeding and bracketing principles and procedures document and agreed to revise the document so that it is more readily understood by the general public and the NCAA membership.