# 2021 NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament

The 2021 NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament began on December 2, 2021, and ended on December 18, 2021, to determine the Division I National Champion in women's volleyball. Wisconsin won its first NCAA national championship by defeating Big Ten rival Nebraska 3–2. The championship match was played in front of an NCAA record crowd of 18,755.
The Final Four was held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The national semifinals were held on December 16 and the championship match was held on December 18.
Kentucky, from the Southeastern Conference, was the defending national champion. The Wildcats were eliminated in the second round to Illinois.
The tournament saw a particularly successful run by the Atlantic Coast Conference. Louisville, having gone a perfect 28–0 in the regular season, earned the first number one overall seed in conference history. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh earned the number three seed, its first top four seed in program history. Both teams utilized their home court advantages to earn their respective first trips to the national semifinals. Thus, the Cardinals and Panthers became the second and third semi-finalists from the conference in tournament history, and first since Florida State in 2011. Additionally, Georgia Tech also advanced to its first Regional Final since 2003, marking the first time the ACC had three Regional Finalists in one tournament.
While the ACC made history in the semifinals, the Cardinals and Panthers were joined by Wisconsin and Nebraska out of the Big Ten. Wisconsin made its third consecutive trip to the national semifinals, and was seeking its first title. Nebraska was the only semi-finalist who has won a National Championship, doing so five times. This tournament marked the fourteenth straight year that at least one member of the Big Ten reached the semifinal.

## Tournament schedule and venues

The first two rounds, normally referred to as the subregionals, will be played at the sites of the top 16 seeds, replicating the format done in the basketball tournaments. The regionals will be played at four non-predetermined campus sites, which will be announced on December 5.
First and Second Rounds (Subregionals)
* December 2–3
** Gregory Gymnasium, Austin, Texas (Host: University of Texas)
** Ferrell Center, Waco, Texas (Host: Baylor University)
** Holloway Gymnasium, West Lafayette, Indiana (Host: Purdue University)
** Sokol Arena, Omaha, Nebraska (Host: Creighton University)
** O'Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida (Host: University of Florida)
* December 3–4
** L&N Federal Credit Union Arena, Louisville, Kentucky (Host: University of Louisville)
** Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Host: University of Pittsburgh)
** UW Field House, Madison, Wisconsin (Host: University of Wisconsin)
** Memorial Coliseum, Lexington, Kentucky (Host: University of Kentucky)
** O'Keefe Gymnasium, Atlanta, Georgia (Host: Georgia Institute of Technology)
** Covelli Center, Columbus, Ohio (Host: Ohio State University)
** Devaney Center, Lincoln, Nebraska (Host: University of Nebraska)
** George A. Smith Fieldhouse, Provo, Utah (Host: Brigham Young University)
** Maturi Pavilion, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Host: University of Minnesota)
** Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California (Host: University of California, Los Angeles)
** Alaska Airlines Arena, Seattle, Washington (Host: University of Washington)
Regional semifinals and finals
* December 9 & 11
** Louisville Regional, Freedom Hall (Host: University of Louisville)
** Madison Regional, Wisconsin Field House (Host: University of Wisconsin)
** Pittsburgh Regional, Fitzgerald Field House (Host: University of Pittsburgh)
** Austin Regional, Gregory Gymnasium (Host: University of Texas)
National semifinals and championship
* December 16 & 18
** Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio (Host: Ohio State University)

## Qualifying teams

The following teams automatically qualified for the 2021 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's tournament. Unlike the 2020 tournament that consisted of only 48 teams due to COVID-19, the 2021 tournament returned to the usual format of 64 qualifying teams.
While Penn State remains as the only team to take part in all 41 tournaments, this is the first tournament appearance for Campbell, The Citadel, UIC, Mississippi State, South Alabama, and West Virginia, for a grand total of six teams.

### Automatic qualifiers

| Conference | Team | Conference Record |
| ACC | Louisville | 18–0 |
| America East | UMBC | 12–0 |
| American | UCF | 19–1 |
| Atlantic 10 | Dayton | 16–0 |
| Atlantic Sun | Florida Gulf Coast | 15–1 |
| Big 12 | Texas | 15–1 |
| Big East | Creighton | 16–2 |
| Big Sky | Northern Colorado | 13–3 |
| Big South | Campbell | 14–2 |
| Big Ten | Wisconsin | 17–3 |
| Big West | Hawai'i | 18–2 |
| Colonial | Towson | 12–4 |
| C-USA | Western Kentucky | 12–0 |
| Horizon | UIC | 13–3 |
| Ivy | Brown | 13–1 |
| MAAC | Fairfield | 16–2 |
| MAC | Ball State | 17–1 |
| MEAC | Howard | 12–2 |
| Missouri Valley | Illinois State | 13–5 |
| Mountain West | Boise State | 10–8 |
| Northeast | Sacred Heart | 11–3 |
| Ohio Valley | Southeast Missouri State | 14–4 |
| Pac-12 | Washington | 17–3 |
| Patriot | Colgate | 13–3 |
| SEC | Kentucky | 17–1 |
| Southern | The Citadel | 7–9 |
| Southland | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 13–1 |
| SWAC | Florida A&M | 14–2 |
| Summit | South Dakota | 15–3 |
| Sun Belt | South Alabama | 15–1 |
| West Coast | BYU | 18–0 |
| WAC | Utah Valley | 8–6 |

### Tournament seeds

Louisville Regional :
| Seed | RPI | School | Conference | Berth type | Record |
| 1 | 1 | Louisville | ACC | Automatic | 28–0 |
| 8 | 7 | Georgia Tech | ACC | At–Large | 23–5 |
| 9 | 9 | Ohio State | Big Ten | At–Large | 25–5 |
| 16 | 21 | Florida | SEC | At–Large | 20–8 |
| | 31 | Ball State | MAC | Automatic | 25–6 |
| | 173 | Florida A&M | SWAC | Automatic | 22–1 |
| | 204 | Howard | MEAC | Automatic | 18–12 |
| | 11 | Miami (FL) | ACC | At–Large | 24–4 |
| | 35 | Michigan | Big Ten | At–Large | 18–11 |
| | 28 | North Carolina | ACC | At–Large | 21–8 |
| | 49 | South Alabama | Sun Belt | Automatic | 25–6 |
| | 42 | South Carolina | SEC | At–Large | 14-14 |
| | 29 | Tennessee | SEC | At–Large | 19–9 |
| | 213 | The Citadel | SoCon | Automatic | 14–11 |
| | 129 | UIC | Horizon | Automatic | 20–11 |
| | 18 | Western Kentucky | C-USA | Automatic | 27–1 |
Madison Regional :
| Seed | RPI | School | Conference | Berth type | Record |
| 4 | 4 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | Automatic | 25–3 |
| 5 | 5 | Baylor | Big 12 | At–Large | 20–5 |
| 12 | 17 | Minnesota | Big Ten | At–Large | 19–8 |
| 13 | 13 | UCLA | Pac-12 | At–Large | 23–5 |
| | 106 | Colgate | Patriot | Automatic | 18–9 |
| | 117 | Fairfield | MAAC | Automatic | 24–8 |
| | 33 | Florida Gulf Coast | ASUN | Automatic | 26–5 |
| | 48 | Iowa State | Big 12 | At–Large | 16–11 |
| | 56 | Northern Colorado | Big Sky | Automatic | 24–6 |
| | 37 | Pepperdine | WCC | At–Large | 22–5 |
| | 70 | South Dakota | Summit | Automatic | 20–9 |
| | 26 | Stanford | Pac-12 | At–Large | 18–10 |
| | 99 | Texas A&M–CC | Southland | Automatic | 19–9 |
| | 38 | Texas Tech | Big 12 | At–Large | 17–12 |
| | 22 | UCF | AAC | Automatic | 26–6 |
| | 36 | Washington State | Pac-12 | At–Large | 19–11 |
Pittsburgh Regional :
| Seed | RPI | School | Conference | Berth type | Record |
| 3 | 2 | Pittsburgh | ACC | At–Large | 26–3 |
| 6 | 10 | Purdue | Big Ten | At–Large | 23–6 |
| 11 | 15 | BYU | WCC | Automatic | 28–1 |
| 14 | 8 | Creighton | Big East | Automatic | 30–3 |
| | 90 | Boise State | Mountain West | Automatic | 24–10 |
| | 40 | Dayton | A-10 | Automatic | 25–5 |
| | 67 | Illinois State | MVC | Automatic | 19–13 |
| | 34 | Kansas | Big 12 | At–Large | 16–11 |
| | 16 | Marquette | Big East | At–Large | 26–5 |
| | 54 | Ole Miss | SEC | At–Large | 21–8 |
| | 23 | Oregon | Pac-12 | At–Large | 22–8 |
| | 27 | Penn State | Big Ten | At–Large | 20–10 |
| | 63 | Towson | Colonial | Automatic | 26–4 |
| | 172 | UMBC | America East | Automatic | 19–11 |
| | 20 | Utah | Pac-12 | At–Large | 21–8 |
| | 76 | Utah Valley | WAC | Automatic | 16–12 |
Austin Regional :
| Seed | RPI | School | Conference | Berth type | Record |
| 2 | 3 | Texas | Big 12 | Automatic | 24–1 |
| 7 | 6 | Kentucky | SEC | Automatic | 24–4 |
| 10 | 12 | Nebraska | Big Ten | At–Large | 21–7 |
| 15 | 14 | Washington | Pac-12 | Automatic | 24–4 |
| | 73 | Brown | Ivy | Automatic | 20–5 |
| | 94 | Campbell | Big South | Automatic | 21–9 |
| | 19 | Florida State | ACC | At–Large | 19–9 |
| | 57 | Hawai'i | Big West | Automatic | 21–7 |
| | 30 | Illinois | Big Ten | At–Large | 20–11 |
| | 47 | Kansas State | Big 12 | At–Large | 15–12 |
| | 25 | Mississippi State | SEC | At–Large | 25–5 |
| | 24 | Rice | C-USA | At–Large | 19–6 |
| | 138 | Sacred Heart | NEC | Automatic | 19–9 |
| | 39 | San Diego | WCC | At–Large | 20–7 |
| | 88 | Southeast Missouri State | OVC | Automatic | 26–7 |
| | 43 | West Virginia | Big 12 | At–Large | 19–9 |

## Bracket

The tournament bracket was announced on November 28, 2021. Times are shown in Eastern Standard Time.

### Louisville, KY Regional

| First round December 2 & 3 | First round December 2 & 3 | First round December 2 & 3 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Regional semifinals December 9 | Regional semifinals December 9 | Regional semifinals December 9 | | Regional Finals December 11 | Regional Finals December 11 | Regional Finals December 11 |
| 1 | Louisville | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | UIC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | UIC | 0 | 1 | Louisville | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Louisville, KY | Louisville, KY | Louisville, KY | 1 | Louisville | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Louisville, KY | Louisville, KY | Louisville, KY | | Ball State | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | Ball State | 3 | | Ball State | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | Michigan | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Michigan | 2 | | | | 1 | Louisville | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 16 | Florida | 0 | | | | |
| | South Alabama | 1 | | | | | | | 16 | Florida | 0 | | | | |
| | Miami (FL) | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Miami (FL) | 3 | | Miami (FL) | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Gainesville, FL | Gainesville, FL | Gainesville, FL | | Miami (FL) | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Gainesville, FL | Gainesville, FL | Gainesville, FL | 16 | Florida | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | Florida A&M | 0 | 16 | Florida | 3 | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Florida | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Florida | 3 | | | | | | | | 1 | Louisville | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Georgia Tech | 1 |
| 9 | Ohio State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | Georgia Tech | 1 |
| | Howard | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Howard | 0 | 9 | Ohio State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Columbus, OH | Columbus, OH | Columbus, OH | 9 | Ohio State | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Columbus, OH | Columbus, OH | Columbus, OH | | Tennessee | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | North Carolina | 1 | | Tennessee | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | Tennessee | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tennessee | 3 | | | | 9 | Ohio State | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 8 | Georgia Tech | 3 | | | | |
| | South Carolina | 0 | | | | | | | 8 | Georgia Tech | 3 | | | | |
| | Western Kentucky | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Western Kentucky | 3 | | Western Kentucky | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Atlanta, GA | Atlanta, GA | Atlanta, GA | | Western Kentucky | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Atlanta, GA | Atlanta, GA | Atlanta, GA | 8 | Georgia Tech | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | The Citadel | 0 | 8 | Georgia Tech | 3 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Georgia Tech | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |

### Madison, WI Regional

| First round December 2 & 3 | First round December 2 & 3 | First round December 2 & 3 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Regional semifinals December 9 | Regional semifinals December 9 | Regional semifinals December 9 | | Regional Finals December 11 | Regional Finals December 11 | Regional Finals December 11 |
| 5 | Baylor | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 0 | 5 | Baylor | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Waco, TX | Waco, TX | Waco, TX | 5 | Baylor | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Waco, TX | Waco, TX | Waco, TX | | Washington State | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | Northern Colorado | 0 | | Washington State | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | Washington State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Washington State | 3 | | | | 5 | Baylor | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 12 | Minnesota | 3 | | | | |
| | Iowa State | 1 | | | | | | | 12 | Minnesota | 3 | | | | |
| | Stanford | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stanford | 3 | | Stanford | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis, MN | | Stanford | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis, MN | 12 | Minnesota | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | South Dakota | 0 | 12 | Minnesota | 3 | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Minnesota | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Minnesota | 3 | | | | | | | | 12 | Minnesota | 0 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Wisconsin | 3 |
| 13 | UCLA | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Wisconsin | 3 |
| | Fairfield | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Fairfield | 0 | 13 | UCLA | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles, CA | 13 | UCLA | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles, CA | | UCF | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | Pepperdine | 1 | | UCF | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | UCF | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | UCF | 3 | | | | 13 | UCLA | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Wisconsin | 3 | | | | |
| | Florida Gulf Coast | 3 | | | | | | | 4 | Wisconsin | 3 | | | | |
| | Texas Tech | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Texas Tech | 2 | | Florida Gulf Coast | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Madison, WI | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | | Florida Gulf Coast | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Madison, WI | Madison, WI | Madison, WI | 4 | Wisconsin | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | Colgate | 0 | 4 | Wisconsin | 3 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |

### Pittsburgh, PA Regional

| First round December 2 & 3 | First round December 2 & 3 | First round December 2 & 3 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Regional semifinals December 9 | Regional semifinals December 9 | Regional semifinals December 9 | | Regional Finals December 11 | Regional Finals December 11 | Regional Finals December 11 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | UMBC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | UMBC | 0 | 3 | Pittsburgh | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | 3 | Pittsburgh | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh, PA | | Penn State | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | Towson | 1 | | Penn State | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | Penn State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Penn State | 3 | | | | 3 | Pittsburgh | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Kansas | 0 | | | | |
| | Oregon | 0 | | | | | | | | Kansas | 0 | | | | |
| | Kansas | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kansas | 3 | | Kansas | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Omaha, NE | Omaha, NE | Omaha, NE | | Kansas | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Omaha, NE | Omaha, NE | Omaha, NE | 14 | Creighton | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | Ole Miss | 0 | 14 | Creighton | 1 | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Creighton | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Creighton | 3 | | | | | | | | 3 | Pittsburgh | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Purdue | 1 |
| 11 | BYU | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Purdue | 1 |
| | Boise State | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Boise State | 0 | 11 | BYU | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Provo, UT | Provo, UT | Provo, UT | 11 | BYU | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Provo, UT | Provo, UT | Provo, UT | | Utah | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | Utah Valley | 1 | | Utah | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | Utah | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Utah | 3 | | | | 11 | BYU | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 6 | Purdue | 3 | | | | |
| | Dayton | 3 | | | | | | | 6 | Purdue | 3 | | | | |
| | Marquette | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Marquette | 1 | | Dayton | 2 | | | | | | | |
| West Lafayette, IN | West Lafayette, IN | West Lafayette, IN | | Dayton | 2 | | | | | | | |
| West Lafayette, IN | West Lafayette, IN | West Lafayette, IN | 6 | Purdue | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | Illinois State | 0 | 6 | Purdue | 3 | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Purdue | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |

### Austin, TX Regional

| First round December 2 & 3 | First round December 2 & 3 | First round December 2 & 3 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Second Round December 3 & 4 | Regional semifinals December 9 | Regional semifinals December 9 | Regional semifinals December 9 | | Regional Finals December 11 | Regional Finals December 11 | Regional Finals December 11 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Southeast Missouri State | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Southeast Missouri State | 0 | 7 | Kentucky | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Lexington, KY | Lexington, KY | Lexington, KY | 7 | Kentucky | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Lexington, KY | Lexington, KY | Lexington, KY | | Illinois | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | West Virginia | 1 | | Illinois | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | Illinois | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Illinois | 3 | | | | | Illinois | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 10 | Nebraska | 3 | | | | |
| | Kansas State | 0 | | | | | | | 10 | Nebraska | 3 | | | | |
| | Florida State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Florida State | 3 | | Florida State | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Lincoln, NE | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln, NE | | Florida State | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Lincoln, NE | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln, NE | 10 | Nebraska | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | Campbell | 0 | 10 | Nebraska | 3 | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Nebraska | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Nebraska | 3 | | | | | | | | 10 | Nebraska | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Texas | 1 |
| 15 | Washington | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Texas | 1 |
| | Brown | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Brown | 0 | 15 | Washington | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA | 15 | Washington | 3 | | | | | | | |
| Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA | | Hawaii | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | Hawaii | 3 | | Hawaii | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | Mississippi State | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mississippi State | 2 | | | | 15 | Washington | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Texas | 3 | | | | |
| | Rice | 3 | | | | | | | 2 | Texas | 3 | | | | |
| | San Diego | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | San Diego | 0 | | Rice | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Austin, TX | Austin, TX | Austin, TX | | Rice | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Austin, TX | Austin, TX | Austin, TX | 2 | Texas | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | Sacred Heart | 0 | 2 | Texas | 3 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Texas | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |

### Schedule
#### Regional final
## Final Four

| National semifinals Nationwide Arena December 16 | National semifinals Nationwide Arena December 16 | National semifinals Nationwide Arena December 16 | National Championship Nationwide Arena December 18 | National Championship Nationwide Arena December 18 | National Championship Nationwide Arena December 18 |
| 1 | Louisville | 2 | | | |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 3 | | | |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 3 | 4 | Wisconsin | 3 |
| | | | 10 | Nebraska | 2 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 1 | 10 | Nebraska | 2 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 3 | | | |

### Final Four All-Tournament Team

* Anna Smrek – Most Outstanding Player (Wisconsin)
* Dana Rettke (Wisconsin)
* Sydney Hilley (Wisconsin)
* Nicklin Hames (Nebraska)
* Madi Kubik (Nebraska)
* Anna Debeer (Louisville)
* Leketor Member-Meneh (Pittsburgh)

## Media coverage

For the second consecutive season all matches aired on the ESPN Family of networks. Rounds 1 and 2 streamed on ESPN+ with the exception of Texas matches, which were televised by LHN. All Sweet 16 and Elite 8 matches aired on ESPNU or ESPN+. ESPN aired the national semifinals while ESPN2 aired the national championship.

### Semifinals & National Championship
## Records by Conference

| Conference | Bids | Record | Win % | R32 | S16 | E8 | F4 | CM | NC |
| Big Ten | 8 | 22–7 | .759 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| ACC | 6 | 13–6 | .684 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | – |
| Big 12 | 7 | 7–7 | .500 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Pac-12 | 6 | 7–6 | .538 | 5 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| SEC | 6 | 4–6 | .400 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| West Coast | 3 | 2–3 | .400 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| C-USA | 2 | 2–2 | .500 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| American | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Atlantic 10 | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Atlantic Sun | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Big East | 2 | 1–2 | .333 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Big West | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| MAC | 1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 19 Others | 19 | 0–19 | .000 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
* The R32, S16, E8, F4, CM, and NC columns indicate how many teams from each conference were in the Round of 32 (second round), Round of 16 (third round), quarterfinals (Elite Eight), Semi-finals (Final Four), Championship Match, and National Champion, respectively.
* The following conferences failed to place a team into the round of 32: America East, Big Sky, Big South, Colonial, Horizon, Ivy, MAAC, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, SWAC, Summit, Sun Belt, and the WAC. The conference's records have been consolidated in the other row.

## NCAA tournament record

The following NCAA Tournament records were broken during the 2021 tournament:
* Attendance record, championship match – 18,755