Important news -- and sure to spark discussion -- out of the NCAA about next year's tournament.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association, in response to concerns about attendance at early-round games, has announced changes to the siting principles for the Division I women’s basketball championship, effective with the 2010 tournament.

Under the new principles, the NCAA no longer will assign teams to 16 pre-determined sites for the first two rounds. Instead, the thirty-two first round games will be hosted by the higher-seeded team, and second-round games will be assigned to the location of the higher surviving seed. Regional semifinals and finals also will be played on the highest surviving seeds’ home courts. (read more)