Ohio State to Face Howard in 2026 NCAA Tournament Opener

The Buckeyes and Bison will tip off the women's March Madness tournament on March 21 in Columbus.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 2:36am

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The No. 3 seed Ohio State women's basketball team will take on the No. 14 seed Howard Bison in the opening round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on March 21 in Columbus. Ohio State is coming off a strong regular season that included wins over Michigan State and USC, but fell to UCLA in the Big Ten tournament semifinals. Should the Buckeyes advance, they would face the winner of No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 11 Fairfield.

Why it matters

This first-round matchup between Ohio State and Howard kicks off the 2026 women's NCAA Tournament, which will feature some of the top teams and players in the country competing for the national championship.

The details

Ohio State, the No. 3 seed, will face off against No. 14 seed Howard in the opening round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The game will tip off at 11:30 a.m. on March 21 in Columbus. The Buckeyes are coming off a strong regular season that included wins over Michigan State and USC, but they fell to UCLA in the Big Ten tournament semifinals. Should Ohio State advance, they would face the winner of the No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield matchup.

  • The Ohio State vs. Howard game will tip off at 11:30 a.m. on March 21, 2026.
  • Ohio State lost to UCLA 72-62 in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament.

The players

Ohio State Buckeyes

The No. 3 seed Ohio State women's basketball team is making its appearance in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Howard Bison

The No. 14 seed Howard Bison will face off against Ohio State in the opening round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Jaloni Cambridge

The Ohio State guard played 39 minutes and scored 17 points in the Buckeyes' Big Ten quarterfinal win over Minnesota.

Elsa Lemmila

The Ohio State center scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Buckeyes' Big Ten quarterfinal win over Minnesota.

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What’s next

The winner of the Ohio State vs. Howard game will face the winner of the No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield matchup in the next round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

The opening-round clash between the No. 3 seed Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 14 seed Howard Bison will be an exciting start to the 2026 women's NCAA Tournament, as both teams look to advance and compete for the national championship.