INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (theACC.com) – With the full bracket for the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament set to be unveiled on Sunday, March 15, the NCAA announced the host sites for the first and second rounds on Saturday. Duke, Louisville and North Carolina were ranked in the top 16 and have earned the right to host.

Duke (24-8, 16-2 ACC) enters the NCAA Tournament coming off its second straight ACC title, becoming the first team to win back-to-back league championships since NC State won three straight from 2020-22. It marked the eighth time the Blue Devils have swept the regular season and tournament titles, the most among all ACC schools. During the regular season, the Blue Devils strung together a 17-game winning streak despite opening the season with a 3-6 record. This will be Duke’s 28th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Louisville (27-7, 15-3 ACC) is coming off a runner-up finish at the ACC Tournament, falling to the Blue Devils in overtime in last Sunday’s title game. This season marked the Cardinals’ 16th consecutive season with 20 or more victories and the first time in three seasons that they earned hosting responsibilities for the first and second rounds. The Cards will be making their 15th consecutive trip to March Madness and 28th overall.

North Carolina (26-7, 14-4 ACC) will be a host for the second consecutive season, as the Tar Heels will make their ACC-best 33rd appearance in the Big Dance. UNC has won 13 of its last 15 games, including a key win over Duke in its regular-season finale. With the Tar Heels being named a host, every ACC team with 14 or more league wins since 1999-00 has earned a top-16 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The full bracket will be announced on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The ACC has sent eight teams to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last seven seasons.