PITTSBURGH — The University of Pittsburgh will host NCAA women's basketball first- and second-round games in 2010, the second time in four seasons the tournament will stop at the Petersen Events Center.

Pitt also played host to tournament games last spring, with two top-seeded teams, eventual national champion Tennessee and North Carolina, playing their first two games there.

Being a tournament site could prove an advantage to Pitt, as its women's team has emerged as a Top 25-ranked team. Last season, the Panthers made their NCAA tournament debut at the Petersen Center, winning one game.

Unlike the NCAA men's tournament format, schools selected for the women's field are allowed to play early round games on their home court if the school was previously selected as a tournament site.