The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee has selected Stanford as a replacement host for first- and second-round games of the 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.

Stanford was selected because of planned renovations taking place at New Mexico’s The Pit/Bob King Court. New Mexico’s home arena will be ready for regular-season contests in November, but construction plans call for work to continue in steps during the season.

The committee’s recommendation was approved by the Administrative Committee of the NCAA Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet.

Two first-round games will take place at Stanford’s Maples Pavilion on March 20, with the winners meeting in a second-round contest March 22. Tickets to the games at Stanford will go on sale in October 2009.  Participating teams and game times will be announced at 7 p.m. ET March 15, 2010 on ESPN.

Stanford will be one of 16 first- and second-round sites in 2010. Additional host institutions and sites include:

• Iowa State (James H. Hilton Coliseum)
• Texas (Frank Erwin Center)
• California (Haas Pavilion)
• Xavier (Cintas Center)
• Duke (Cameron Indoor Stadium)
• Tennessee, (Thompson-Boling Arena)
• Louisville (Freedom Hall)
• Minnesota  (Williams Arena)
• Old Dominion (Ted Constant Convocation Center)
• Oklahoma (Lloyd Noble Center)
• Notre Dame (Joyce Center)
• Pittsburgh (Petersen Events Center)
• Washington (Bank of America Arena)
• Florida State (Donald L. Tucker Center)
• Arizona State  (Wells Fargo Arena)

The 16 advancing teams will then continue play at the Sacramento Regional (Arco Arena), the Memphis Regional (FedEx Forum), the Dayton Regional (University of Dayton Arena) and the Kansas City Regional (Sprint Center).  

The 2010 NCAA Women’s Final Four will be played at the Alamodome in San Antonio on April 4 and 6.