The NCAA Tournament selection show delivered exactly what Texas A&M expected—and a little bit more. The Aggies earned the No. 16 national seed, securing their third straight NCAA Regional at Davis Diamond. But for head coach Trisha Ford, the bracket reveal brought a familiar face into the mix.

"It's going to be a tough regional," Ford admitted, not holding back after the announcement.

The Aggies landed right where most projections had them—on the edge of hosting duties and on a potential collision course with the Texas Longhorns in a Super Regional. But the real story hits closer to home for Ford and her staff.

As often happens with lower-seeded hosts, Texas A&M drew one of the strongest bubble teams in the field: Arizona State. Ford spent six seasons with the Sun Devils, leading them to a Women's College World Series appearance. Now she'll face her former program in the opening weekend of the tournament.

"I enjoyed my time there, but obviously chose to come to A&M and be in the SEC, and I'm very happy about that choice," Ford said, acknowledging the personal twist.

The Aggies are also looking to shake off last year's early regional exit. Ford made sure her team isn't carrying that weight into this weekend.

"I addressed it—kind of an elephant in the room. I just said, 'Hey, last year was last year, and this year is this year, and this team is different.' And I think one of the things this team really does a great job is they bond together."

With a renewed sense of identity, a tougher draw than most 16-seeds, and a head coach facing a familiar opponent, Texas A&M's College Station Regional is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing in the entire bracket.

The Aggies open play against UConn on Friday, May 15, at 1 p.m. CT at Davis Diamond. The game will air on ESPN2.