College basketball fans in San Diego are in for a busy, exciting week.
For the first time ever, four local programs earned spots in Division I NCAA Tournaments in the same year. UC San Diego became the first university to have both men’s and women’s teams make the big dance in their first year of tournament eligibility. San Diego State’s women’s program won the Mountain West to reach the Field of 68 for the first time since 2012. And Brian Dutcher’s SDSU team landed one of the final spots in the men’s bracket.
It is the first time two men’s programs from the city made it in the same year, and just the second for the women – the last coming in 1993 when the Aztecs and Toreros punched their tickets.
The men’s selection show took place first, with the Tritons landing a 12-seed and a date with five-seed Michigan out of the South Region. The Big West champs will take on the Big Ten champions Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in Denver.
San Diego State also ended up in the South, but will have to survive a first four game. The Aztecs face fellow 11-seed UNC Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. in Dayton. The winner of that game will take on Ole Miss Friday at 1:05 p.m. in Milwaukee.
When the women’s selection show got started two hours later UC San Diego was one half of the first matchup on the board. The Tritons will face Southern in the first four on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. If they win they’ll take on top overall seed and host UCLA as a 16-seed Friday at 7:00 p.m.
The Aztecs landed a 14-seed and will head to Baton Rouge for a showdown against three-seed LSU. That game will take place on Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
