ESPN accidentally reveals Women’s NCAA Tournament bracket before selection show

The full bracket for the 2019 Women’s NCAA Tournament is set to be released Monday evening, but it appears ESPN jumped the gun by accidentally including the bracket on ESPNU broadcasts in the afternoon. Viewers noticed the matchups being listed on sidebars by the network, and ESPN PR apologized for the error in a statement.

The NCAA later announced that the selection show unveiling the bracket on ESPN2 had been moved up to 4 p.m. CT from its original scheduled time of 6 p.m, presumably in order to get the official news out as soon as possible.

The 2019 Women’s NCAA Tournament starts Friday with first-round games in four cities across the country, including Chicago. The Final Four will be held April 5 at Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The national championship game will be held on April 7.

2019 Women’s NCAA Tournament matchups

Albany Region

No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 16 Robert Morris

No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 9 Kansas State

No. 5 Gonzaga vs. No. 12 Arkansas-Little Rock

No. 4 Oregon State vs. No. 13 Boise State

No. 6 UCLA vs. No. 11 Tennessee

No. 3 Maryland vs. No. 14 Radford

No. 7 Rutgers vs. No. 10 Buffalo

No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Towson

Chicago Region

No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 16 Bethune-Cookman

No. 8 Central Michigan vs. No. 9 Michigan State

No. 5 Marquette vs. No. 12 Rice

No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Wright State

No. 6 DePaul vs. No. 11 Missouri State

No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 New Mexico State

No. 7 BYU vs. No. 10 Auburn

No. 2 Stanford vs. No. 15 UC Davis

Portland Region

No. 1 Mississippi State vs. No. 16 Southern

No. 8 South Dakota vs. No. 9 Clemson

No. 5 Arizona State vs. No. 12 UCF

No. 4 Miami vs. No. 13 Florida Gulf Coast

No. 6 South Dakota State vs. No. 11 Quinnipiac

No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 14 Fordham

No. 7 Texas vs. No. 10 Indiana

No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 15 Portland State

Greensboro Region

No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 16 Abilene Christian

No. 8 Cal vs. No. 9 North Carolina

No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 12 Bucknell

No. 4 South Carolina vs. No. 13 Belmont

No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Princeton

No. 3 NC State vs. No. 14 Maine

No. 7 Missouri vs. No. 10 Drake

No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 Mercer