Chavez Honors Clark in Debut Game - LITE

Hey, Hoophead!

Beginning the season with a top-10 upset wasn’t exactly in the cards. But, well, it happened. Outside of Duke’s stumble, though, the rest of the top teams took the W, all in blowouts. As the rest of the day unfolded, a few behind-the-scenes moves got exposed, while Dawn Staley probably gave herself a pat on the back for one of the best offseason calls.

Today’s just as exciting, with LSU, UConn, and USC kicking off their seasons and a No.8 Tennessee vs. No.9 NC State matchup. But before that, here’s a look back at Day 1.

Sunday’s Poll Result: Sarah takes the lead! Nearly 57% of you are backing Strong to outshine Azzi Fudd with many pointing to Fudd’s past injury struggles as the reason why.

This might be the last year we see the NCAA Tournament in its current format. Expansion is on the horizon, though no final agreement has been reached yet. The push comes from NCAA president Charlie Baker, whose reasoning might sound either practical or puzzling, depending on your perspective.

The proposed plan being floated to television partners would expand the field from 68 to 76 teams, adding eight more games to the First Four. These early matchups would now be called the “opening round,” marking a new era for March Madness.