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NCAA Tournament game time announced for Notre Dame women's basketball vs. Stephen F. Austin

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•03/17/25•

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purcell (1)
A general view of the Purcell Pavilion in the second half of the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Louisville Cardinals. (Photo by Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports)

Notre Dame will be one of the first teams to get going in the NCAA Tournament. The Fighting Irish women’s basketball team drew a No. 3 seed and one of the first time slots in the big dance.

No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin (29-5) will tip off against No. 3 seed Notre Dame (26-5) at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Ind., at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN on Friday, March 21. The South Bend pod kicks off the entire tournament schedule with a game between No. 6 seed Michigan (22-10) and either No. 11 seed Princeton (21-7) or Iowa State (22-11) at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2 on Sunday, March 23.

Here’s a look at first-round matchups via NCAA.com.

First Round: Friday, March 21 (Notre Dame plays)

  • (6) Michigan vs. (11) Iowa State/Princeton, 11:30 a.m. | ESPN2
  • (4) Kentucky vs. (13) Liberty, 12 p.m. | ESPN
  • (8) Utah vs. (9) Indiana, 1:30 p.m. | ESPN2
  • (3) Notre Dame vs. (14) Stephen F. Austin, 2 p.m. | ESPN
  • (5) Kansas State vs. (12) Fairfield, 2:30 p.m. | ESPNews
  • (4) Baylor vs. (13) Grand Canyon, 3:30 p.m. | ESPNU
  • (2) TCU vs. (15) FDU, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
  • (1) South Carolina vs. (16) Tennessee Tech, 4 p.m. | ESPN
  • (7) Vanderbilt vs. (10) Oregon, 5:30 p.m. | ESPNews
  • (4) Ohio State vs. (13) Montana State, 5:30 p.m. | ESPN2
  • (5) Ole Miss vs. (12) Ball State, 6 p.m. | ESPNU
  • (7) Louisville vs. (10) Nebraska, 6 p.m. | ESPN
  • (8) Richmond vs. (9) Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m.  | ESPNews
  • (2) Duke vs. (15) Lehigh, 8 p.m. | ESPNU
  • (5) Tennessee vs. (12) South Florida, 8 p.m. | ESPN
  • (1) UCLA vs. (16) UC San Diego/Southern U., 10 p.m. | ESPN

First Round: Saturday, March 22

  • (6) Iowa vs. (11) Murray State, 12 p.m.| ESPN
  • (2) UConn vs. (15) Arkansas State, 1 p.m. | ABC
  • (5) Alabama vs. (12) Green Bay, 1:30 p.m. | ESPN2
  • (2) NC State vs. (15) Vermont, 2 p.m. | ESPN
  • (6) West Virginia vs. (11) Columbia/Washington, 2 p.m. | ESPNews
  • (3) Oklahoma vs. (14) FGCU, 2:30 p.m. | ESPNU
  • (1) Southern California vs. (16) UNC Greensboro, 3 p.m. | ABC
  • (7) Oklahoma State vs. (10) South Dakota State, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
  • (4) Maryland vs. (13) Norfolk State, 4 p.m. | ESPN
  • (3) North Carolina vs. (14) Oregon State, 4:30 p.m. | ESPNU
  • (7) Michigan State vs. (10) Harvard, 4:30 p.m. | ESPNews
  • (8) California vs. (9) Mississippi State, 5:30 p.m. | ESPN2
  • (8) Illinois vs. (9) Creighton, 7:15 p.m. | ESPNews
  • (6) Florida State vs. (11) George Mason, 7:45 p.m. | ESPN2
  • (1) Texas vs. (16) High Point/William & Mary, 9:45 p.m. | ESPN2
  • (3) LSU vs. (14) San Diego State, 10:15 p.m. | ESPN

Should Notre Dame beat SFA, the Fighting Irish will remain at home for the round of 32 game on Sunday. They’ve been placed in one of the collection of 16 teams that is playing for the right to advance to a regional tournament in Birmingham, Ala.

The top seeds in Notre Dame’s region are No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 seed TCU, both programs the Irish have faced this season. Head coach Niele Ivey’s team beat the Longhorns in South Bend in December, 80-70 in overtime, but lost to TCU, 76-68, in late November in the Cayman Islands Classic.

Notre Dame has never advanced past the Sweet 16 during the Niele Ivey era. Her Irish are hungry to take another step or two in this year’s March Madness.

“We’re blessed to be in this opportunity to be ranked as high as we are right now and to be able to host at all,” sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo said. “We’re just grateful for the opportunity. We’re not really worried about the seeding or where we’re going. It’s a blessing to be able to play another game.”

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