Ohio State has been selected as one of sixteen schools to host first- and second-round games in the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee announced in a press release Monday.

OSU will host the games at St. John Arena on campus. It will be the third time in five years that OSU will host first- and second-round games and the third time in eight years OSU will host games at St. John Arena.

The Buckeyes hosted first- and second-round games in 2009 at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus and in 2011 at St. John Arena. OSU also hosted at St. John Arena in 2004.

The NCAA said in the press release the chosen schools were a good geographic representation of women’s basketball. 

“As a committee we are excited that in 2013 our championship will be hosted by institutions from nine different conferences,” said Greg Christopher, chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and director of athletics at Bowling Green State University. “Having this geographic blend of sites is important to the committee as we continue to grow the game of women’s basketball.”

Iowa is the only other Big Ten school chosen to host first- and second-round games, in Iowa City, Iowa, according to the press release.

Games will take place either Saturday, March 23 and Monday, March 25 or Sunday, March 24 and Tuesday, March 26. The dates will be determined in June 2012, the press release states.

OSU had not immediately released a statement Monday afternoon.