How Far Do Cowgirls Need to Climb to Host NCAA Tournament Games?
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The Cowgirls’ season has been impressive thus far, but they could soon attract the attention of the entire college basketball world.
OSU’s third season with Jacie Hoyt at the helm has been nothing short of spectacular. The Cowgirls are 15-3 and recently made the AP Top 25 for the first time in seven years. Although an upset loss to Houston pushed OSU out of the rankings, it will soon have an opportunity to prove itself again.
Along with trying to cement itself as a top-25 program, OSU is on track to return to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons. While there is plenty of season left to be played, the Cowgirls shouldn’t be shy about the potential ceiling of this team.
In ESPN’s latest Bracketology, OSU was one of seven teams from the Big 12 to make the projected field. The Cowgirls were joined by Kansas State, TCU, West Virginia, Baylor, Utah and Iowa State. Coming in as a seventh seed, the Cowgirls are effectively fifth amongst Big 12 teams, tied with Utah.
While simply making the tournament would be a nice step forward for Hoyt’s squad, which was decimated by injuries last season, the Cowgirls have been good enough to have loftier goals. In the women’s tournament, the top 4 seeds in each region all host the Rounds of 64 and 32. That essentially gives homecourt advantage to the selection committee’s top 16 teams and, in theory, an easier path to the Sweet 16.
OSU’s quest to play NCAA Tournament games in Gallagher-Iba Arena ramps up on Tuesday when it hosts No. 9 TCU. The Horned Frogs have lost only one game all season, which was to South Carolina, and have taken care of business throughout Big 12 play.
A win against one of the favorites to take the Big 12 could be significant for a multitude of reasons. Not only would it likely vault the Cowgirls back into the top 25 next week, but a win would also mean OSU has the advantage over TCU if the teams are competing for NCAA Tournament seeding near the end of the season.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.