Gophers will host first- and second-round NCAA tournament games

Before leaving for the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament last Wednesday, a trio of Gophers was asked whether they were aware that their school had deliberately cleared next weekend’s Williams Arena schedule for them. They did not. Coach Dawn Plitzuweit and the UMN athletics department had high expectations for the 2025-26 Gophers, and they didn’t want to miss out — should the Gophers make their first NCAA tournament since 2018 — on a potentially lucrative weekend of March Madness at the Barn. It was a leap of faith. Not only would...