KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Battle for the Red Banner starts in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the No. 9 University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball has been chosen as a host for the Fort Wayne Priority Life Care National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Tournament First and Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy.

"We are extremely excited to be able to host the First and Second Rounds of the NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament," said USF Athletic Director Mike McCaffrey. "Our team has worked hard all season to put themselves in this position and we were fortunate to have the NAIA reward our university and our city with this opportunity. I know whoever comes to Fort Wayne will recognize all of the great things that our city has to offer. Hopefully, the local community will come out and enjoy some amazing basketball over these two days!"     

The NAIA announced on 12 of the 16 host sites for the First & Second Rounds, with the remaining four host sites to be announced with the 64-team field. The final 64-team field and bracket will be announced on Thursday, March 6 at 6:00 p.m. CT on the NAIA Network.

Each First and Second Round site will feature four teams, and they will play single elimination on Friday and Saturday, March 14-15. The winner of the final game will advance to the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa, which will start on March 20 and conclude on March 25.

A full list of the 12 sites currently selected to host the First and Second Round in the 2025 NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship, along with the full NAIA release can be read here. Apparel for the NAIA Women's Basketball First & Second Rounds can be purchased here.

Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.