In order to win a national championship, Texas women’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer insists that he would have played anywhere. Name the place and time, and his Longhorns would be there.

“I’ll take this team to Timbuktu,” Schaefer told reporters after the SEC Tournament championship game March 8. “I don’t care. They’ll go wherever. They don’t care. They’re good enough.”

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Texas Longhorns guard Rori Harmon (3) fakes out Louisiana State Tigers guard Milaysia Fulwiley (23) in the third quarter of the Longhorns’ game against the LSU Tigers at the Moody Center in Austin, Feb. 5, 2026.

Texas Longhorns guard Rori Harmon (3) fakes out Louisiana State Tigers guard Milaysia Fulwiley (23) in the third quarter of the Longhorns’ game against the LSU Tigers at the Moody Center in Austin, Feb. 5, 2026.

Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman

On Sunday, Texas found out that Timbuktu won’t end up on its travel itinerary for the NCAA Tournament. In fact, the Longhorns (31-3) won’t need to leave the state while trying to secure a return spot in this year’s Final Four in Phoenix, Ariz.

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Texas earned a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, which begins this week. As a top-16 overall seed, it will host first- and second-round games at Moody Center. The Longhorns will play either Missouri State (22-12) or Stephen F. Austin (25-9) on Friday afternoon for the right to face Oregon (22-12) or Virginia Tech (23-9) in Sunday’s second round. Due to its standing as the tournament’s No. 3 overall seed, Texas was placed in a quadrant of the bracket that will send the Longhorns to Fort Worth for Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games if they make it past the tournament’s opening weekend.

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“March is the best time to play basketball, and so I’m just (excited) to play,” Texas forward Madison Booker said.

Texas Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer disputes a call during the game against Georgia at the Moody Center on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 in Austin.

Texas Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer disputes a call during the game against Georgia at the Moody Center on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 in Austin.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

Texas looking ahead to first round, not Fort Worth

Texas has been the victor in its last 42 appearances at Moody Center, a winning streak includes 18 home games this season. Back in December, the Longhorns also recorded an 89-54 win over Baylor at Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena. 

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After Texas learned its NCAA draw at a watch party Sunday, Schaefer conceded Texas will have homecourt advantage in the postseason. The longtime coach, however, didn’t want to look ahead to Fort Worth or possible opponents there like second-seeded Michigan, third-seeded Louisville, fourth-seeded West Virginia or fifth-seeded Kentucky.

“I’m not going to put the cart before the horse,” Schaefer said. “I’ll worry about our first-round matchup on Friday, and if we win that one, I’ll worry about two really good teams on Sunday. It would certainly be nice to, when you do look that far ahead, to know that it’s a bus ride versus a plane ride across half the country (to Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games).”

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Texas point guard Rori Harmon agreed with Schaefer’s assessment. A Houston native, Harmon said the Fort Worth draw was “a pretty big deal” since the other option for Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games is Sacramento, Calif. But the Longhorns’ all-time leader in assists and steals also knows that regional assignments are meaningless without first- and second-round wins.

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“You can’t get to Fort Worth if you stub your toe in Austin,” Harmon said. “It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to still plan like every team is the same and prepare like we need to.”

Since Schaefer’s hire ahead of the 2020-21 season, Texas is 7-1 in NCAA Tournament games at Moody Center and the Erwin Center. That one loss came in 2023 when Texas was a No. 4 seed and suffered a second-round setback at Moody against Louisville.

Fans react to a play as Texas takes on Kentucky at The Moody Center in Austin Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.

Fans react to a play as Texas takes on Kentucky at The Moody Center in Austin Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.

Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman

First up for Texas in the NCAA Tournament? To be determined.

After Sunday’s selection show, most of the bracket was able to start first-round preparations. Texas, though, won’t know who it’s playing in the first round until Wednesday night when Missouri State and Stephen F. Austin play in a “First Four” game at Moody. The surviving No. 16 seed will then play the host Longhorns.

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Missouri State won the Conference USA Tournament as its No. 6 seed. A Final Four qualifier in 1992 and 2001, this is Missouri State’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022.

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Meanwhile, this is Stephen F. Austin’s second straight season with an NCAA Tournament berth. The Ladyjacks secured their trip to Austin by knocking off the top two seeds at the Southland Conference Tournament.

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“We’ll watch film on both those teams tonight and tomorrow and Tuesday, and get to see them in person Wednesday, and then get ready to play on Friday,” Schaefer said. “If we can get past that one, we’ll have a Power Four team (in Oregon or Virginia Tech). They sent us two really good teams from two really good conferences, and both those teams have been to the wars and are battle-tested as well. We’ll have to play well this weekend.”