The Utah women’s basketball team will continue its season after earning a bid to the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament, according to a March 15 announcement. Utah has been named the No. 1 seed and is set to play Eastern Kentucky in the first round in Richmond, Kentucky, on Thursday, March 19 at 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time.
This tournament appearance marks Utah’s fifth consecutive postseason berth, following four straight years in the NCAA Tournament. The opportunity allows the team to extend its season and keep its roster together for additional games.
“We’re excited to get the opportunity to continue to play,” said head coach Gavin Petersen. “At the end of the day we get to keep this group together and play basketball and we’re going to try to keep that alive as long as we can.”
If Utah advances past Eastern Kentucky, it will host subsequent rounds at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. This is Utah’s 32nd overall postseason appearance and second under Petersen’s leadership. The last time Utah participated in a postseason event other than the NCAA Tournament was during the 2017-18 season when it reached the second round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
The Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament is owned and funded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The annual 32-team event was announced in 2023 and began in 2024, making this year its third edition.
Eastern Kentucky enters with a record of 24-8 after finishing first in its conference but being upset early in their league tournament. This matchup will be only the second meeting between Utah and Eastern Kentucky; their previous encounter occurred during last season’s Great Alaska Shootout, where Utah won decisively.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Wes Chandler providing play-by-play commentary and Kent Miller serving as analyst.
