Texas Joins Elite as No. 1 Seed in Latest NCAA Women's Bracket Preview

Longhorns replace Vanderbilt as fourth top seed, joining UConn, UCLA, and South Carolina

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The NCAA women's basketball selection committee revealed its second bracket preview, with Texas moving up to a No. 1 seed and replacing Vanderbilt as the fourth top seed, joining UConn, UCLA, and South Carolina. The Longhorns' overall resume was deemed stronger than Vanderbilt's, according to committee chair Amanda Braun.

Why it matters

The bracket preview provides an early look at the top contenders for the NCAA women's basketball tournament, giving teams and fans a sense of where they stand heading into the final stretch of the regular season. Texas' rise to a No. 1 seed underscores the program's continued ascent under head coach Geno Auriemma and solidifies the Longhorns as a national title favorite.

The details

In the latest bracket preview, UConn remained the overall No. 1 seed, followed by UCLA and South Carolina. Texas moved up from a No. 2 seed in the initial reveal to claim the fourth No. 1 spot, with the committee citing the Longhorns' stronger overall resume compared to Vanderbilt. The top 16 seeds will host first- and second-round games, with the regional rounds played at neutral sites in Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, California.

  • The NCAA basketball selection committee revealed its second bracket preview on March 1, 2026.
  • The initial bracket preview was shown on February 14, 2026, right after Texas lost to Vanderbilt.

The players

Geno Auriemma

The head coach of the UConn women's basketball team.

Amanda Braun

The chair of the NCAA women's basketball selection committee.

Texas

The women's basketball team that moved up to a No. 1 seed in the latest bracket preview.

Vanderbilt

The women's basketball team that was previously the fourth No. 1 seed but was replaced by Texas in the latest bracket preview.

UConn

The women's basketball team that remained the overall No. 1 seed in the latest bracket preview.

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What they’re saying

“We were all viewing it the same way, in the conversation it was so close and that head-to-head tipped the scales last time. The loss (by Vanderbilt) tipped it back. The overall resume of Texas is stronger than Vanderbilt in a few different ways.”

— Amanda Braun, NCAA women's basketball selection committee chair (The Associated Press)

“Things can still happen in the next two weeks.”

— Amanda Braun, NCAA women's basketball selection committee chair (The Associated Press)

What’s next

The NCAA will reveal the top 16 teams in alphabetical order a day before Selection Sunday on March 15, 2026, giving schools an extra day to sell tickets and ESPN more time to prepare for the tournament broadcast.

The takeaway

Texas' rise to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA women's basketball tournament preview underscores the program's continued growth under head coach Geno Auriemma and solidifies the Longhorns as a top contender for the national championship, joining the likes of perennial powerhouses UConn, UCLA, and South Carolina.