Men’s basketball team prepares for NCAA Tournament; women’s basketball hosting WNIT

Marquette men’s basketball is back in the NCAA Tournament, while the women’s basketball team will play in and host the first round of the WNIT.

Men’s basketball sendoff Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

The men’s basketball team is making its 34th all-time tournament appearance and first under head coach Shaka Smart after securing an at-large berth. Marquette, a No. 9 seed, will face eighth-seeded North Carolina on Thursday, March 17, in Fort Worth, Texas.

The campus community is invited to a send-off for the team at the Al McGuire Center at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15. The event will take place in the lobby and outside doors of the Al. Attendees can begin lining up at 1:15 p.m.

Tipoff for the men’s basketball tournament opener is set for 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. The game can be watched on TBS.

The university is staging multiple events throughout the week for those heading to Fort Worth. Text MarchWithMU to 313131 to opt-in for text alerts about Marquette events during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

  • Marquette men’s basketball open practice | 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Wednesday in Dickies Arena (1911 Montgomery St., Fort Worth)
    • Round-trip shuttle transportation will be available starting at 11:15 a.m. between the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel and Dickies Arena.
  • Blue and Gold pregame celebration and team send-off | 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel (1701 Commerce St., Fort Worth)
    • $20 for adults 13 and older and FREE for children 12 and under. The one-time registration fee includes appetizers, beer, wine and soda and round-trip shuttle transportation to the game. Please note that a portion of the pregame reception registration fees will be considered a non-refundable gift to the Marquette Blue & Gold Fund. Parking is available in and around the hotel; for more information, visit the hotel’s parking page or the Downtown Fort Worth website.
  • Lenten Mass (if Marquette wins vs. North Carolina) | TBD Saturday at Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel (1701 Commerce St., Fort Worth)
  • Blue and Gold pregame celebration and team send-off (if Marquette wins vs. North Carolina) | TBD Saturday at Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel (1701 Commerce St., Fort Worth)

A complete schedule of events is available online. 

Women’s basketball hosting/playing in WNIT

The women’s basketball team will face Ball State on Wednesday, March 16, at 7 p.m. in the Al McGuire Center. The squad is making its 10th appearance in the WNIT, which consists of 64 teams competing from March 16 to April 2.

After finishing the 2021-22 campaign with a 21-10 overall mark, the Golden Eagles automatically qualified for the WNIT as the top-seeded BIG EAST team to not make the NCAA Tournament. Marquette won the tournament in 2008 with an 81-66 win over Michigan State and made a run to the championship game two years prior in 2006.

Tickets for the first round will be available to the general public starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15th. Season ticket holders will receive a separate email on how to purchase tickets.

A complete schedule of events is available online.