For the first time in Pilot athletic history, the University of Portland will serve as the host institution for the 2028 Division I NCAA Women's Basketball Regional Championships, the NCAA announced Oct. 2.
UP will host the event alongside the Portland Trail Blazers/Rose Quarter, Sport Oregon and Travel Portland. Portland and fellow host site Washington, D.C are set to host regional games March 24-27, 2028.
2028 will mark the fourth time Portland has hosted regional play and the first time with UP serving as the institutional host. The city and UP are also set to host the 2030 Women’s Final Four.
In a Oct. 2 press release, Vice President of Athletics Scott Leykam shared the university’s excitement for the opportunity and its intention to boost women’s sports in the city with the event.
"We are thrilled to be selected as the institutional host for the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Regional in 2028, as this marks the first time the University of Portland will serve as an NCAA Basketball Championship host at the Moda Center," Leykam said. "In conjunction with hosting the NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four in 2030, the University of Portland continues to further its legacy as a champion of women's sports and women's basketball in the city. This is a great opportunity to continue that tradition."
In another Oct. 2 press release, Jim Etzel, the CEO of fellow regional host Sport Oregon, also shared the organization’s excitement on the event’s potential for the women’s basketball community in Portland.
"We are unbelievably excited for the NCAA to once again choose Portland and Oregon for its marquee women's basketball tournament," said Etzel. "With a Women's Final Four on the horizon for 2030, this event will further build momentum in our community to showcase Portland as the epicenter of women's basketball."
Maggie Dapp is the Sports Editor at The Beacon. She can be reached at dapp26@up.edu.
