SAN FRANCISCO – For the fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament, multiple Pac-12 women’s basketball teams will appear in the Elite Eight.

After a convincing 74-59 win over No. 2 seed Texas A&M in the Sweet 16, No. 3 seed ARIZONA (19-5) will be making the first Elite Eight appearance in program history when it plays No. 4 seed Indiana for the Mercado Region Championship at 6 p.m. PT tonight on ESPN.

No. 1 overall seed STANFORD (28-2) advanced to its 21st Elite Eight with a resounding 89-62 victory over No. 5 seed Missouri State on Sunday. The Cardinal will be seeking its 14th Final Four appearance when it faces No. 2 seed Louisville on Tuesday at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN.

It’s the fifth consecutive Elite Eight and ninth overall to feature at least two Pac-12 programs. The Conference’s five-tournament stretch with multiple regional finalists is the longest active streak in the nation and the fourth-longest in NCAA Tournament history. The SEC is the only other conference to accomplish the feat, most recently with a seven-year run from 2002-08.

Consecutive NCAA Tournaments with Multiple Elite Eight Participants – Conference Streaks

1. SEC – 12 (1982-93)
2. SEC – 7 (2002-08)
3. SEC – 6 (1995-00)
4. Pac-12 – 5 (2016-21)* [No 2020 NCAA Tournament.]

NCAA Tournaments with Multiple Elite Eight Participants – Pac-12

• 2021: ARIZONA, STANFORD
• 2019: OREGON, STANFORD
• 2018: OREGON, OREGON STATE, UCLA
• 2017: OREGON, STANFORD
• 2016: OREGON STATE, STANFORD, WASHINGTON
• 2009: ARIZONA STATE, STANFORD
• 1994: STANFORD, USC
• 1992: STANFORD, USC
• 1990: STANFORD, WASHINGTON

The Pac-12, which is tied with the Big Ten for the most wins (10) by a conference in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, also tops the country in both wins and percentage in the NCAA Tournament since 2016.

NCAA Tournament Winning Percentage Since 2016

1. Pac-12 - .699 (65-28)
2. American - .667 (20-10)
3. ACC - .642 (61-34)
4. Big 12 - .633 (38-22)
5. SEC - .613 (57-36)

The postseason success of the Pac-12 over the last half decade is an extension of its superb results before the calendar flips to conference play. Since 2016, the Pac-12 is 574-142 in nonconference, regular-season contests. Its .802 winning percentage in those games leads all conferences over that span.

Winning Percentage in Nonconference Games Since 2016 (Regular Season)

1. Pac-12 - .802 (574-142)
2. Big 12 - .788 (494-133)
3. ACC - .766 (781-238)
4. SEC - .763 (774-241)
5. Big Ten - .732 (655-240)

Should the runs for both ARIZONA and STANFORD continue with wins in the Elite Eight, the Pac-12 would have multiple Final Four participants for the second time in Conference history. OREGON STATE and WASHINGTON appeared in the 2016 Final Four at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

With Wildcat and Cardinal victories, the Pac-12 could become the fourth conference to have multiple teams in more than one Final Four. A conference has placed multiple teams in the Final Four 23 times in NCAA Tournament history.

Multiple Participants in a Final Four All-Time

1. SEC – 10 (last in 2017)
2. Big East – 6 (last in 2013)
3. ACC – 3 (last in 2018)
T4. Pac-12 – 1 (2016)
T4. Big 12 – 1 (2010)* [Also has two Elite Eight participants this season in Baylor and Texas.]
T4. Big Ten – 1 (1993)
T4. Sun Belt – 1 (1985)