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Every West Virginia potential March Madness venue in 2023 NCAA Tournament

By Adam Weinrib

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - FEBRUARY 25: Emmitt Matthews Jr. #1 of the West Virginia Mountaineers shoots against K.J. Adams Jr. #24 of the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse on February 25, 2023 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - FEBRUARY 25: Emmitt Matthews Jr. #1 of the West Virginia Mountaineers shoots against K.J. Adams Jr. #24 of the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse on February 25, 2023 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
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The 19-14 West Virginia Mountaineers might’ve looked like a Bubble Team to some, but WVU never considered themselves as such.

After all, they held their own in the rough-and-tumble Big 12, the once-again-well-acknowledged supreme conference in America (take that, ACC). They decimated fellow tournament team Pitt 81-56 early in the campaign (enjoy the First Four, Panthers!). They shrugged off an 0-5 start in conference play to finish 7-11 prior to the conference tournament. They just battled all danged year.

Now, the final challenge. The Maryland Terrapins await in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which begins for these Mountaineers at 12:15 EST on Thursday afternoon in Birmingham, AL.

This is the first time in 15 years that Birmingham will host NCAA Tournament games, with this edition tipping off at Legacy Arena on Thursday. Not so coincidentally, both Auburn and Alabama will be playing their first March Madness home games on friendly turf. Just another challenge in a season full of ’em for the Mountaineers.

West Virginia Mountaineers March Madness 2023: Where will they play?

If West Virginia moves past Kevin Willard’s frisky Terrapins, they’ll face the winner of Alabama’s battle with one of two First Four competitors. We’re going to go ahead and give that one to Alabama.

If WVU happens to pull off an all-time March Madness upset and upset Brandon Miller’s personal apple cart, they’ll be moving on to the Sweet 16/Elite 8 of the South Regional in Louisville, KY at the KFC Yum! Center.

Yum! indeed.

The Final Four and National Championship Game are, of course, at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. This is Houston’s fourth time as host city, and the third time the event has been held at this particular stadium.

While some might not be so familiar with Houston’s first Final Four (UCLA beating Villanova at the Astrodome in the 1971 final), the other two previous instances are quite familiar: UConn over Butler in a rock fight in 2011, and UNC falling to Villanova’s last-second shot in 2016.

Oh, and soon to be the site of West Virginia’s miracle run. Of course.

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