2025–26 NCAA Division I women's basketball season

The 2025–26 NCAA Division I women's basketball season began on November 3, 2025. The regular season will end on March 15, 2026, with the 2026 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament beginning with the first four on March 18 and ending with the championship game on April 5, at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Rule changes

Season headlines

Milestones and records

Conference membership changes

A total of 6 schools joined new conferences for the 2025–26 season. Of these, 5 moved within Division I, 1 began reclassification from NCAA Division II.

School Former conference Current conference
Delaware CAA CUSA
Grand Canyon Western Athletic Mountain West
Missouri State Missouri Valley CUSA
New Haven Northeast-10 (D–II) Northeast
Seattle Western Athletic West Coast
UMass A-10 MAC

The 2025–26 will be the last season in their respective conferences for at least 28 Division I schools.

School 2025–26 conference Future conference
Austin Peay Atlantic Sun United Athletic
Boise State Mountain West Pac-12
California Baptist Western Athletic Big West
Central Arkansas Atlantic Sun United Athletic
Colorado State Mountain West Pac-12
Denver Summit West Coast
Eastern Kentucky Atlantic Sun United Athletic
Fresno State Mountain West Pac-12
Gonzaga West Coast Pac-12
Hawaii Big West Mountain West
Little Rock Ohio Valley United Athletic
North Alabama Atlantic Sun United Athletic
Northern Illinois MAC Horizon
Oregon State West Coast Pac-12
Sacramento State Big Sky Big West
Saint Francis NEC PAC (D–III)
San Diego State Mountain West Pac-12
Southern Utah Western Athletic Big Sky
Tennessee Tech Ohio Valley Southern
Texas State Sun Belt Pac-12
UC Davis Big West Mountain West
UTEP CUSA Mountain West
Utah State Mountain West Pac-12
Utah Tech Western Athletic Big Sky
Utah Valley Western Athletic Big West
Washington State West Coast Pac-12
West Georgia Atlantic Sun United Athletic

Arenas

New arenas

Arena of new D-I teams

  • New Haven played its first Division I home game at the Jeffrey P. Hazell Athletics Center on November 9, losing 57–45 to Iona.[21]

Arena name changes

Other arena changes

Seasonal outlook

The Top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaching polls

Pre-season polls

AP
Ranking Team
1 UConn (27)
2 South Carolina (4)
3 UCLA
4 Texas
5 LSU
6 Oklahoma
7 Duke
8 Tennessee
9 NC State
10 Maryland
11 North Carolina
12 Ole Miss
13 Michigan
14 Iowa State
15 Notre Dame
16 Baylor
17 TCU
18 USC
19 Vanderbilt
20 Louisville
21 Iowa
22 Oklahoma State
23 Michigan State
24 Kentucky т
Richmond т
USA Today Coaches
Ranking Team
1 UConn (28)
2 South Carolina (3)
3 Texas
4 UCLA
5 LSU
6 Duke
7 Oklahoma
8 NC State
9 Tennessee
10 Maryland
11 North Carolina
12 TCU
13 Notre Dame
14 Ole Miss
15 Michigan
16 USC
17 Iowa State
18 Baylor
19 Louisville
20 Kentucky
21 Vanderbilt
22 Oklahoma State
23 Iowa
24 Ohio State
25 Kansas State


Top 10 matchups

Rankings reflect the AP poll Top 25.

Regular season

Conference tournament

Postseason tournament

Regular season

Early-season tournaments

Names Dates Location Teams Champion Runner-up 3rd-place winner
Raising the B.A.R. Invitational November 15–16, 2025 Haas Pavilion (Berkeley, CA) 4 California Harvard Charlotte
DePaul MTE November 21–22, 2025 Wintrust Arena (Chicago, IL) 4 Northern Colorado DePaul Campbell
Great Alaska Shootout November 21–22, 2025 Alaska Airlines Center (Anchorage, AK) 4 UC Irvine St. Thomas (MN) Bowling Green
Emerald Coast Classic November 24–25, 2025 Raider Arena (Niceville, FL) 8 Mississippi State (Bay)
Nebraska (Beach)
Middle Tennessee (Bay)
Virginia (Beach)
Providence (Bay)
Purdue Fort Wayne (Beach)
Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship November 24–26, 2025 Baha Mar Convention Center (Nassau, Bahamas) 8 Ohio State (Goombay)
Alabama (Junkanoo)
West Virginia (Goombay)
Minnesota (Junkanoo)
McNeese (Goombay)
South Florida (Junkanoo)
Players Era Championship November 26–27, 2025 Michelob Ultra Arena (Paradise, NV) 4 Texas South Carolina UCLA
Paradise Jam November 27–29, 2025 Sports and Fitness Center (Charlotte Amalie West, VI) 12 Boise State (Harbor)
Vanderbilt (Island)
LSU (Reef)
Tulane (Harbor)
BYU (Island)
Washington State (Reef)
Elon (Harbor)
Virginia Tech (Island)
Miami (OH) (Reef)
CBU Classic November 28–29, 2025 Fowler Events Center (Riverside, CA) 4 UC Santa Barbara Chattanooga California Baptist
Iona Turkey Tip-Off November 28–29, 2025 Hynes Athletic Center (New Rochelle, NY) 4 Iona UIC Maine
FIU Thanksgiving Classic November 28–30, 2025 Ocean Bank Convocation Center (University Park, FL) 4 FIU Seattle UMBC
Coconut Hoops November 28–30, 2025 Alico Arena (Fort Myers, FL) 8 Iowa State (Blue Heron)
Oklahoma (Great Egret)
Indiana (Blue Heron)
Florida State (Great Egret)
Gonzaga (Blue Heron)
Missouri State (Great Egret)
Baha Mar Nassau Championship November 28–30, 2025 Baha Mar Convention Center (Nassau, Bahamas) 8 Arkansas State (Goombay)
Michigan State (Junkanoo)
Kent State (Goombay)
Clemson (Junkanoo)
Houston (Goombay)
Temple (Junkanoo)
HBCU Hoops Invitational December 5–6, 2025 ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (Bay Lake, FL) 4 Hampton Edward Waters Bethune–Cookman
Big 5 Classic November 12–December 7, 2025 Finneran Pavilion (Villanova, PA) 6 Villanova Saint Joseph's Drexel
Tulane Holiday Tournament December 20–21, 2025 Devlin Fieldhouse (New Orleans, LA) 4 Mercer Tulane Detroit Mercy
Hawk Classic December 20–21, 2025 Hagan Arena (Philadelphia, PA) 4 Saint Joseph's Delaware Akron
Cherokee Invitational December 21–22, 2025 Harrah's Cherokee (Cherokee, NC) 4 Michigan State Ole Miss Old Dominion
FDU Christmas Classic December 29–30, 2025 Bogota Savings Bank Center (Hackensack, NJ) 4

Head-to-head conference challenges

Conference matchup Dates Conference winner Conference loser Record
ACC–SEC Challenge December 3–4 SEC ACC 13–3
Big Sky–Summit Challenge December 3–6 Big Sky Summit 10–8
MACSBC Challenge November 3, 2025 – February 2026

Upsets

An upset is a victory by an underdog team. In the context of NCAA Division I women's basketball, this generally constitutes an unranked team defeating a team currently ranked in the top 25. This list will highlight those upsets of ranked teams by unranked teams as well as upsets of No. 1 teams. Rankings are from the AP poll. Bold type indicates winning teams in "true road games"—i.e., those played on an opponent's home court (including secondary homes). Italics type indicates winning teams in an early season tournament (or event). Early season tournaments are tournaments played in the early season. Events are the tournaments with the same teams in it every year (even rivalry games).

Winner Score Loser Date Tournament/event Notes
West Virginia 57–47 No. 15 Duke November 14, 2025 Greenbrier Tip-Off
St. John's 74–67 No. 18 Oklahoma State November 19, 2025
Rhode Island 68–63 No. 16 NC State November 23, 2025
Ohio State 83–81 No. 21 West Virginia November 26, 2025 Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship
Villanova 81–59 No. 25 West Virginia December 1, 2025
Kansas State 61–60 No. 13 Ole Miss December 7, 2025 Bill Snyder Classic Game played in St. Joseph, MO
Wisconsin 78–64 No. 20 Michigan State
Stanford 67–62 No. 22 Washington December 19, 2025
Texas Tech 61–60 No. 15 Baylor December 21, 2025

Non-Division I wins over Division I teams

In addition to the above listed upsets in which an unranked team defeated a ranked team, there have been nine non-Division I teams that defeated a Division I team so far this season. Bold type indicates winning teams in "true road games"—i.e., those played on an opponent's home court (including secondary homes). Italics type indicates winning teams in an early season tournament (or event). Early season tournaments are tournaments played in the early season. Events are the tournaments with the same teams in it every year (even rivalry games).

Winner Score Loser Date Tournament/event Notes
West Alabama (Division II) 62–59 UAB November 3, 2025[22]
Delta State (Division II) 76–68 Louisiana November 7, 2025[23]
Scranton (Division III) 69–63 Pittsburgh November 16, 2025[24] First time ever that a Division III team beat a power conference school in women's basketball[25]
Faulkner (NAIA) 77–71 Alabama State November 16, 2025[26]
Carnegie Mellon (Division III) 55–53 Saint Francis November 18, 2025[27]
Johns Hopkins (Division III) 75–59 Morgan State November 18, 2025[28]
Loyola New Orleans (NAIA) 73–65 New Orleans November 19, 2025[29]
Roosevelt (Division II) 82–70OT Western Michigan November 25, 2025[30]
Edward Waters (Division II) 55–46 Bethune–Cookman December 5, 2025[31] HBCU Hoops Invitational

Conference winners and tournaments

Each of the 31 Division I athletic conferences will end its regular season with a single-elimination tournament. The team with the best regular-season record in each conference receives the number one seed in each tournament, with tiebreakers used as needed in the case of ties for the top seeding. Unless otherwise noted, the winners of these tournaments will receive automatic invitations to the 2026 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.

Conference Regular
season first place
Conference
player of the year
Conference
coach of the year
Conference
tournament
Tournament
venue (city)
Tournament
winner
America East Conference 2026 America East women's basketball tournament Campus sites
American Conference 2026 American Conference women's basketball tournament Legacy Arena
Birmingham, AL
Atlantic Sun Conference 2026 ASUN women's basketball tournament VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
(Jacksonville, FL)
Atlantic 10 Conference 2026 Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament Henrico Sports & Events Center
(Henrico, VA)
Atlantic Coast Conference 2026 ACC women's basketball tournament Gas South Arena
(Duluth, GA)
Big 12 Conference 2026 Big 12 women's basketball tournament T-Mobile Center
(Kansas City, MO)
Big East Conference 2026 Big East women's basketball tournament Mohegan Sun Arena
(Uncasville, CT)
Big Sky Conference 2026 Big Sky Conference women's basketball tournament Idaho Central Arena
(Boise, ID)
Big South Conference 2026 Big South Conference women's basketball tournament Freedom Hall Civic Center
(Johnson City, TN)
Big Ten Conference 2026 Big Ten women's basketball tournament Gainbridge Fieldhouse
(Indianapolis, IN)
Big West Conference 2026 Big West Conference women's basketball tournament Lee's Family Forum
(Henderson, NV)
Coastal Athletic Association 2026 CAA women's basketball tournament CareFirst Arena
(Washington, D.C.)
Conference USA 2026 Conference USA women's basketball tournament Von Braun Center
(Huntsville, AL)
Horizon League 2026 Horizon League women's basketball tournament Quarterfinals: Campus sites
Semifinals and final:
Corteva Coliseum (Indianapolis, IN)
Ivy League 2026 Ivy League women's basketball tournament Newman Arena
(Ithaca, NY)
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference 2026 MAAC women's basketball tournament Boardwalk Hall
(Atlantic City, NJ)
Mid-American Conference 2026 Mid-American Conference women's basketball tournament Rocket Arena
(Cleveland, OH)
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 2026 MEAC women's basketball tournament Norfolk Scope
(Norfolk, VA)
Missouri Valley Conference 2026 Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball tournament Xtream Arena
(Coralville, IA)
Mountain West Conference 2026 Mountain West Conference women's basketball tournament Thomas & Mack Center
(Paradise, NV)
NEC 2026 NEC women's basketball tournament Campus sites
Ohio Valley Conference 2026 Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball tournament Ford Center
(Evansville, IN)
Patriot League 2026 Patriot League women's basketball tournament Campus sites
Southeastern Conference 2026 SEC women's basketball tournament Bon Secours Wellness Arena
(Greenville, SC)
Southern Conference 2026 Southern Conference women's basketball tournament Harrah's Cherokee Center
(Asheville, NC)
Southland Conference 2026 Southland Conference women's basketball tournament The Legacy Center
(Lake Charles, LA)
Southwestern Athletic Conference 2026 SWAC women's basketball tournament Gateway Center Arena
(College Park, GA)
Summit League 2026 Summit League women's basketball tournament Denny Sanford Premier Center
(Sioux Falls, SD)
Sun Belt Conference 2026 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament Pensacola Bay Center
(Pensacola, FL)
West Coast Conference 2026 West Coast Conference women's basketball tournament Orleans Arena
(Paradise, NV)
Western Athletic Conference 2026 WAC women's basketball tournament

Conference standings

2025–26 America East Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Albany 0 0   10 3   .769
Bryant 0 0   10 3   .769
Vermont 0 0   10 4   .714
NJIT 0 0   8 4   .667
Binghamton 0 0   7 4   .636
New Hampshire 0 0   5 7   .417
UMass Lowell 0 0   5 7   .417
Maine 0 0   5 8   .385
UMBC 0 0   4 7   .364
† 2026 AmEast tournament winner
As of December 21, 2025
2025–26 American Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Rice 0 0   10 3   .769
Tulsa 0 0   8 4   .667
East Carolina 0 0   8 5   .615
UAB 0 0   7 5   .583
South Florida 0 0   7 6   .538
Florida Atlantic 0 0   6 6   .500
North Texas 0 0   6 6   .500
Temple 0 0   6 6   .500
Charlotte 0 0   6 7   .462
UTSA 0 0   5 6   .455
Memphis 0 0   5 7   .417
Tulane 0 0   5 7   .417
Wichita State 0 0   3 10   .231
† 2026 AAC tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 Atlantic 10 women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Rhode Island 1 0   1.000 10 2   .833
Richmond 1 0   1.000 11 3   .786
La Salle 1 0   1.000 8 4   .667
Davidson 1 0   1.000 9 5   .643
George Washington 1 0   1.000 8 5   .615
George Mason 1 0   1.000 6 6   .500
Saint Louis 1 0   1.000 6 7   .462
Saint Joseph's 0 1   .000 8 3   .727
St. Bonaventure 0 1   .000 9 4   .692
Fordham 0 1   .000 8 4   .667
Dayton 0 1   .000 7 5   .583
Duquesne 0 1   .000 7 5   .583
Loyola Chicago 0 1   .000 4 8   .333
VCU 0 1   .000 4 9   .308
† 2026 A10 tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 ACC women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 13 Louisville 2 0   1.000 12 3   .800
NC State 2 0   1.000 9 4   .692
Syracuse 1 0   1.000 11 1   .917
Stanford 1 0   1.000 11 2   .846
No. 18 Notre Dame 1 0   1.000 9 2   .818
Virginia 1 0   1.000 9 3   .750
Duke 1 0   1.000 6 6   .500
Virginia Tech 1 1   .500 11 3   .786
Wake Forest 1 1   .500 11 3   .786
Clemson 1 1   .500 9 4   .692
Miami (FL) 1 1   .500 8 4   .667
No. 16 North Carolina 0 1   .000 11 3   .786
California 0 1   .000 8 5   .615
SMU 0 1   .000 7 6   .538
Pittsburgh 0 1   .000 7 7   .500
Boston College 0 1   .000 4 10   .286
Florida State 0 2   .000 5 9   .357
Georgia Tech 0 2   .000 4 9   .308
† 2026 ACC tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
Rankings from AP Poll
2025–26 ASUN women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Austin Peay 0 0   7 2   .778
Jacksonville 0 0   7 3   .700
Stetson 0 0   7 3   .700
Eastern Kentucky 0 0   8 4   .667
West Georgia* 0 0   6 4   .600
Central Arkansas 0 0   7 5   .583
Queens 0 0   6 5   .545
North Alabama 0 0   5 6   .455
North Florida 0 0   5 6   .455
Florida Gulf Coast 0 0   4 6   .400
Lipscomb 0 0   3 8   .273
Bellarmine 0 0   2 11   .154
† 2026 ASUN tournament winner
* ineligible for the 2026 NCAA tournament due to transition from Division II
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 Big 12 Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Arizona State 1 0   1.000 14 0   1.000
No. 21 Texas Tech 1 0   1.000 14 0   1.000
No. 10 Iowa State 1 0   1.000 13 0   1.000
No. 8т TCU 1 0   1.000 13 0   1.000
BYU 1 0   1.000 12 1   .923
Oklahoma State 1 0   1.000 12 2   .857
West Virginia 1 0   1.000 11 2   .846
Utah 1 0   1.000 10 3   .769
No. 22 Baylor 0 1   .000 11 3   .786
Kansas 0 1   .000 10 3   .769
Arizona 0 1   .000 9 3   .750
Colorado 0 1   .000 9 4   .692
UCF 0 1   .000 8 4   .667
Kansas State 0 1   .000 7 7   .500
Houston 0 1   .000 6 6   .500
Cincinnati 0 1   .000 5 8   .385
† 2026 Big 12 tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
Rankings from AP poll
2025–26 Big East women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 1 UConn 3 0   1.000 12 0   1.000
Villanova 3 0   1.000 10 2   .833
Marquette 2 1   .667 8 4   .667
Seton Hall 2 1   .667 8 4   .667
Creighton 2 1   .667 6 6   .500
St. John's 1 2   .333 11 3   .786
Xavier 1 2   .333 8 4   .667
Providence 1 2   .333 7 5   .583
Butler 1 2   .333 7 6   .538
Georgetown 0 2   .000 7 3   .700
DePaul 0 3   .000 3 11   .214
† 2026 Big East tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
Rankings from AP poll
2025–26 Big Sky women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Idaho 0 0   9 4   .692
Northern Colorado 0 0   9 4   .692
Montana State 0 0   6 3   .667
Idaho State 0 0   7 4   .636
Eastern Washington 0 0   6 6   .500
Sacramento State 0 0   6 7   .462
Weber State 0 0   6 7   .462
Portland State 0 0   4 8   .333
Northern Arizona 0 0   4 9   .308
Montana 0 0   3 8   .273
† 2026 Big Sky tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 Big South women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
High Point 0 0   11 2   .846
Longwood 0 0   9 4   .692
Radford 0 0   8 7   .533
Winthrop 0 0   7 7   .500
USC Upstate 0 0   5 9   .357
UNC Asheville 0 0   4 8   .333
Gardner–Webb 0 0   3 11   .214
Charleston Southern 0 0   2 10   .167
Presbyterian 0 0   2 11   .154
† 2026 Big South tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 Big Ten women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 7 Maryland 1 0   1.000 13 0   1.000
No. 20 Nebraska 1 0   1.000 12 0   1.000
Illinois 1 0   1.000 11 1   .917
No. 19 Ohio State 1 0   1.000 11 1   .917
No. 4 UCLA 1 0   1.000 11 1   .917
No. 6 Michigan 1 0   1.000 10 1   .909
No. 14 Iowa 1 0   1.000 10 2   .833
No. 17 USC 1 0   1.000 9 3   .750
Wisconsin 1 0   1.000 9 3   .750
No. 24 Michigan State 0 1   .000 11 1   .917
Oregon 0 1   .000 12 2   .857
Indiana 0 1   .000 11 2   .846
Washington 0 1   .000 10 2   .833
Minnesota 0 1   .000 9 3   .750
Purdue 0 1   .000 8 4   .667
Rutgers 0 1   .000 8 4   .667
Penn State 0 1   .000 7 5   .583
Northwestern 0 1   .000 6 6   .500
2026 Big Ten tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
Rankings from AP Poll
2025–26 Big West women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
UC Santa Barbara 2 0   1.000 10 1   .909
UC Irvine 2 0   1.000 11 2   .846
Cal State Fullerton 2 0   1.000 5 6   .455
UC Davis 1 0   1.000 8 4   .667
UC San Diego 1 0   1.000 6 5   .545
Cal State Northridge 1 1   .500 5 6   .455
UC Riverside 1 1   .500 2 9   .182
Hawai'i 0 2   .000 6 5   .545
Cal State Bakersfield 0 2   .000 5 7   .417
Cal Poly 0 2   .000 2 9   .182
Long Beach State 0 2   .000 0 11   .000
† 2026 Big West tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 CAA women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Charleston 0 0   8 3   .727
Drexel 0 0   7 4   .636
William & Mary 0 0   7 4   .636
Monmouth 0 0   6 4   .600
Hampton 0 0   6 5   .545
Towson 0 0   6 5   .545
Campbell 0 0   7 6   .538
North Carolina A&T 0 0   4 6   .400
Northeastern 0 0   4 6   .400
Stony Brook 0 0   5 8   .385
Elon 0 0   4 7   .364
UNC Wilmington 0 0   3 7   .300
Hofstra 0 0   2 8   .200
† 2026 CAA tournament winner
As of December 21, 2025
2025–26 Conference USA women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
UTEP 0 0   7 3   .700
Louisiana Tech 0 0   7 4   .636
Missouri State 0 0   8 5   .615
FIU 0 0   6 4   .600
Kennesaw State 0 0   6 4   .600
Sam Houston 0 0   6 4   .600
Delaware 0 0   6 5   .545
Liberty 0 0   6 5   .545
Jacksonville State 0 0   6 6   .500
Middle Tennessee 0 0   5 7   .417
Western Kentucky 0 0   4 7   .364
New Mexico State 0 0   3 8   .273
† 2026 CUSA tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 Horizon League women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Purdue Fort Wayne 3 0   1.000 9 4   .692
Green Bay 3 0   1.000 8 5   .615
Robert Morris 2 0   1.000 9 2   .818
Cleveland State 2 1   .667 12 2   .857
Youngstown State 2 1   .667 8 4   .667
Detroit Mercy 2 1   .667 4 7   .364
Wright State 1 2   .333 5 9   .357
Milwaukee 0 2   .000 4 9   .308
Oakland 0 2   .000 3 9   .250
IU Indy 0 3   .000 4 8   .333
Northern Kentucky 0 3   .000 3 11   .214
† 2026 Horizon League tournament winner
As of December 21, 2025
2025–26 Ivy League women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 25 Princeton 0 0   12 1   .923
Dartmouth 0 0   8 3   .727
Penn 0 0   8 3   .727
Columbia 0 0   8 4   .667
Brown 0 0   7 4   .636
Harvard 0 0   6 6   .500
Cornell 0 0   4 7   .364
Yale 0 0   4 9   .308
† 2026 Ivy League tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
Rankings from AP Poll
2025–26 MAAC women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Fairfield 2 0   1.000 8 3   .727
Quinnipiac 2 0   1.000 7 4   .636
Mount St. Mary's 2 0   1.000 6 5   .545
Sacred Heart 2 0   1.000 4 7   .364
Siena 2 0   1.000 4 7   .364
Saint Peter's 2 0   1.000 3 8   .273
Merrimack 0 0   3 6   .333
Manhattan 0 1   .000 0 10   .000
Iona 0 2   .000 7 5   .583
Marist 0 2   .000 3 9   .250
Canisius 0 2   .000 2 9   .182
Rider 0 2   .000 2 9   .182
Niagara 0 2   .000 0 11   .000
† 2026 MAAC tournament winner
As of December 21, 2025
2025–26 Mid-American Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Ball State 1 0   1.000 9 4   .692
Bowling Green 1 0   1.000 8 4   .667
Central Michigan 1 0   1.000 7 4   .636
UMass 0 0   8 2   .800
Miami (OH) 0 0   8 4   .667
Ohio 0 0   5 4   .556
Toledo 0 0   5 5   .500
Western Michigan 0 0   3 7   .300
Akron 0 0   3 9   .250
Buffalo 0 0   2 9   .182
Eastern Michigan 0 1   .000 6 5   .545
Kent State 0 1   .000 5 7   .417
Northern Illinois 0 1   .000 2 9   .182
2026 MAC tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 MEAC women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Howard 0 0   10 5   .667
Maryland Eastern Shore 0 0   7 8   .467
Norfolk State 0 0   5 10   .333
Delaware State 0 0   3 11   .214
South Carolina State 0 0   3 12   .200
North Carolina Central 0 0   2 10   .167
Coppin State 0 0   2 12   .143
Morgan State 0 0   1 14   .067
† 2026 MEAC tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Bradley 1 0   1.000 8 4   .667
UIC 1 0   1.000 6 6   .500
Northern Iowa 1 0   1.000 5 6   .455
Belmont 1 0   1.000 5 7   .417
Drake 1 0   1.000 2 9   .182
Murray State 0 0   9 2   .818
Illinois State 0 1   .000 6 6   .500
Indiana State 0 1   .000 4 7   .364
Southern Illinois 0 1   .000 3 7   .300
Evansville 0 1   .000 2 10   .167
Valparaiso 0 1   .000 0 12   .000
† 2026 MVC tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 Mountain West Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Colorado State 2 0   1.000 11 2   .846
San Diego State 2 0   1.000 8 3   .727
UNLV 2 0   1.000 7 5   .583
New Mexico 1 1   .500 9 4   .692
Air Force 1 1   .500 7 5   .583
Fresno State 1 1   .500 7 6   .538
Utah State 1 1   .500 5 6   .455
Wyoming 1 1   .500 4 7   .364
San Jose State 0 1   .000 2 10   .167
Grand Canyon 0 1   .000 1 10   .091
Boise State 0 2   .000 9 4   .692
Nevada 0 2   .000 4 8   .333
† 2026 Mountain West tournament winner
As of December 21, 2025
2025–26 Northeast Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Fairleigh Dickinson 0 0   8 3   .727
LIU 0 0   4 6   .400
Stonehill* 0 0   4 6   .400
Wagner 0 0   3 7   .300
New Haven** 0 0   2 8   .200
Chicago State 0 0   1 11   .083
Le Moyne* 0 0   1 11   .083
Central Connecticut 0 0   0 11   .000
Mercyhurst* 0 0   0 11   .000
Saint Francis 0 0   0 11   .000
† 2026 NEC tournament winner
* ineligible for the 2026 NCAA tournament due to transition from Division II

** ineligible for both the 2026 NEC tournament and the 2026 NCAA tournament due to transition from Division II
As of December 21, 2025

2025–26 Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Western Illinois 2 0   1.000 10 1   .909
Tennessee Tech 2 0   1.000 9 2   .818
Southern Indiana 2 0   1.000 8 3   .727
Lindenwood 1 1   .500 8 4   .667
SIU Edwardsville 1 1   .500 8 4   .667
UT Martin 1 1   .500 5 6   .455
Little Rock 1 1   .500 5 7   .417
Tennessee State 1 1   .500 2 9   .182
Morehead State 0 2   .000 4 8   .333
Southeast Missouri State 0 2   .000 3 7   .300
Eastern Illinois 0 2   .000 1 12   .077
† 2026 OVC tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 Patriot League women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Army 0 0   8 2   .800
Holy Cross 0 0   6 5   .545
Navy 0 0   6 5   .545
Boston University 0 0   4 7   .364
Bucknell 0 0   4 7   .364
Colgate 0 0   4 7   .364
Lafayette 0 0   4 7   .364
Lehigh 0 0   4 7   .364
Loyola 0 0   4 7   .364
American 0 0   2 9   .182
† 2026 Patriot League tournament winner
As of December 21, 2025
2025–26 SEC women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Alabama 0 0   14 0   1.000
No. 2 Texas 0 0   14 0   1.000
Georgia 0 0   13 0   1.000
No. 5 LSU 0 0   13 0   1.000
No. 12 Vanderbilt 0 0   12 0   1.000
No. 11 Kentucky 0 0   12 1   .923
Mississippi State 0 0   12 1   .923
No. 8т Oklahoma 0 0   12 1   .923
No. 3 South Carolina 0 0   12 1   .923
No. 15 Ole Miss 0 0   12 2   .857
Arkansas 0 0   11 3   .786
Florida 0 0   11 3   .786
Missouri 0 0   11 3   .786
Texas A&M 0 0   7 2   .778
Auburn 0 0   10 3   .769
No. 23 Tennessee 0 0   8 3   .727
2026 SEC tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
Rankings from AP poll
2025–26 Southern Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Mercer 0 0   9 5   .643
UNC Greensboro 0 0   8 5   .615
Chattanooga 0 0   7 5   .583
Furman 0 0   6 6   .500
East Tennessee State 0 0   6 8   .429
Samford 0 0   6 9   .400
Wofford 0 0   5 7   .417
Western Carolina 0 0   2 11   .154
† 2026 SoCon tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 Southland Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Northwestern State 3 0   1.000 6 5   .545
Incarnate Word 2 0   1.000 4 5   .444
Lamar 2 1   .667 5 5   .500
Houston Christian 2 1   .667 4 6   .400
McNeese 1 1   .500 7 4   .636
Stephen F. Austin 1 1   .500 7 4   .636
Nicholls 1 1   .500 5 4   .556
UT Rio Grande Valley 1 1   .500 4 7   .364
Southeastern Louisiana 1 2   .333 2 7   .222
East Texas A&M 0 2   .000 4 5   .444
Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 0 2   .000 1 8   .111
New Orleans 0 2   .000 0 10   .000
† 2026 Southland tournament winner
As of December 21, 2025
2025–26 SWAC women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Southern 0 0   4 7   .364
Alabama A&M 0 0   4 8   .333
Alabama State 0 0   3 7   .300
Alcorn State 0 0   3 7   .300
Arkansas–Pine Bluff 0 0   3 7   .300
Texas Southern 0 0   3 8   .273
Grambling State 0 0   3 10   .231
Jackson State 0 0   2 9   .182
Prairie View A&M 0 0   2 9   .182
Bethune–Cookman 0 0   2 10   .167
Mississippi Valley State 0 0   1 10   .091
Florida A&M 0 0   0 10   .000
† 2026 SWAC tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 Summit League women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
North Dakota State 0 0   10 2   .833
South Dakota State 0 0   10 4   .714
South Dakota 0 0   9 4   .692
Oral Roberts 0 0   6 6   .500
Denver 0 0   6 7   .462
St. Thomas 0 0   6 7   .462
Kansas City 0 0   3 9   .250
North Dakota 0 0   3 10   .231
Omaha 0 0   1 13   .071
† 2026 Summit League tournament winner
As of December 21, 2025
2025–26 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Troy 1 0   1.000 10 2   .833
Marshall 2 0   1.000 11 3   .786
Arkansas State 2 0   1.000 10 3   .769
Georgia Southern 2 0   1.000 9 3   .750
Southern Miss 2 0   1.000 9 4   .692
Texas State 2 0   1.000 5 6   .455
James Madison 1 1   .500 9 5   .643
Georgia State 1 1   .500 5 8   .385
Old Dominion 0 1   .000 8 5   .615
South Alabama 0 2   .000 7 5   .583
Appalachian State 0 2   .000 6 5   .545
Coastal Carolina 0 2   .000 6 7   .462
Louisiana–Monroe 0 2   .000 5 6   .455
Louisiana 0 2   .000 0 11   .000
† 2026 Sun Belt tournament winner
As of December 22, 2025
2025–26 WAC women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Abilene Christian 0 0   8 4   .667
Southern Utah 0 0   8 4   .667
Utah Valley 0 0   7 4   .636
Tarleton 0 0   6 5   .545
UT Arlington 0 0   6 6   .500
Utah Tech 0 0   5 5   .500
California Baptist 0 0   6 7   .462
† 2026 WAC tournament winner
As of December 21, 2025
2025–26 West Coast Conference women's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Santa Clara 0 0   10 3   .769
Pepperdine 0 0   9 3   .750
Saint Mary's 0 0   9 4   .692
San Francisco 0 0   7 4   .636
Gonzaga 0 0   8 5   .615
Oregon State 0 0   8 5   .615
Loyola Marymount 0 0   6 5   .545
Portland 0 0   6 6   .500
San Diego 0 0   6 7   .462
Pacific 0 0   5 6   .455
Seattle 0 0   4 7   .364
Washington State 0 0   1 12   .077
† 2026 WCC tournament winner
As of December 21, 2025

Postseason tournaments

The NCAA tournament tipped off on March 18, 2026, with the First Four, and will conclude on April 5 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. A total of 68 teams entered the tournament. Thirty-one of the teams earned automatic bids by winning their conferences tournaments. The remaining 37 teams were granted "at-large" bids, which were extended by the NCAA Selection Committee.

Semifinals Finals
      
1  
4  
 
 
3  
2  

Tournament upsets

Per the NCAA, an upset occurs when the losing team in an NCAA tournament game was seeded at least two seed lines better than the winning team."[32]

Upsets in the 2026 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
Round TBD Regional 1 TBD Regional 2 TBD Regional 3 TBD Regional 4
First Four None
Round of 64 None
Round of 32 None
Sweet 16 None
Elite 8 None
Final 4 None
National Championship None

Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament

After the NCAA tournament field is announced, the NCAA invites 32 teams to the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament. The teams determined by the NCAA tournament selection committee to be the "first four out" of the NCAA tournament receive the top four seeds in the WBIT. Also, teams that won regular-season conference titles but did not receive NCAA tournament invitations, if otherwise eligible for NCAA-sponsored postseason play, receive automatic bids. All WBIT games through the quarterfinals are held at campus sites, with the semifinals and finals taking place in Wichita, Kansas at Charles Koch Arena.

Semifinals and finals

2026 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament

Women's National Invitation Tournament

After the NCAA tournament and WBIT fields are announced, the Women's National Invitation Tournament will invite 48 teams to participate. WNIT participants and sites will be announced when the field is set on March 16.

Semifinals and finals

2026 Women's National Invitation Tournament

Award winners

2026 Consensus All-Americans

The NCAA has never recognized a consensus All-America team in women's basketball. This differs from the practice in men's basketball, in which the NCAA uses a combination of selections by the Associated Press (AP), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), The Sporting News and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) to determine a consensus All-America team. The selection of a consensus team is possible because all four organizations select at least a first and second team, with only the USBWA not selecting a third team.

Consensus First Team
Player Position Class Team


Consensus Second Team
Player Position Class Team

Major player of the year awards

Major freshman of the year awards

Major coach of the year awards

Other major awards

Coaching changes

Many teams will change coaches during the season and after it ends.

Team Former
Interim
New
Reason
Northwestern Joe McKeown McKeown announced on March 24, 2025, that he will retire at the end of the 2025–26 season, his 18th at Northwestern.[33]
South Florida Jose Fernandez Michele Woods-Baxter Fernandez left USF on October 23, 2025, just 11 days before beginning his 26th season as head coach, to become head coach of the WNBA's Dallas Wings, which became official 4 days later.[34] Bulls associate head coach Woods-Baxter was named interim head coach for the 2025-26 season.[35]

Attendances

The top 30 NCAA Division I women's basketball teams by average home attendance:

Television viewers and ratings

See also

References

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  2. ^ "Utah Valley University Joins The Big West" (Press release). June 4, 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  3. ^ "Sacramento State Joins The Big West" (Press release). June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  4. ^ "The Big Sky Conference Welcomes Southern Utah, Utah Tech Starting in 2026" (Press release). June 25, 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  5. ^ "Atlantic Sun Conference and Western Athletic Conference to Forge Strategic Alliance: WAC to Rebrand as United Athletic Conference" (Press release). United Athletic Conference. June 25, 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  6. ^ "Texas State becomes ninth member of reborn Pac-12" (Press release). June 30, 2025. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  7. ^ "Louisiana Tech Joins Sun Belt Conference" (Press release). July 15, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  8. ^ "American Conference Launches Modernized Brand Identity Ahead of Football Media Days" (Press release). American Conference. July 21, 2025. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  9. ^ "The Southern Conference Approves Tennessee Tech Membership" (Press release). Southern Conference. August 13, 2025. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  10. ^ "West Coast Conference Welcomes UC San Diego". West Coast Conference. September 3, 2025. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  11. ^ Lang, Cady (March 16, 2018). "Why This 98-Year-Old Nun is Already a March Madness MVP". Time. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  12. ^ "Loyola's Sister Jean announces retirement due to health concerns". ESPN.com. September 24, 2025. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  13. ^ "New Look, Same Mission: NEC Begins Fresh Chapter" (Press release). NEC. October 2, 2025. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  14. ^ "A Loyola Icon with an Enduring Legacy, Sister Jean Dies at 106" (Press release). Loyola University Chicago. October 9, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  15. ^ "Trojans Make History: Little Rock to Join United Athletic Conference" (Press release). Little Rock Trojans Athletics. October 10, 2025. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  16. ^ Feinberg, Doug (October 21, 2025). "Purdue's Smith earns unanimous AP preseason All-America honors, joined by Texas Tech's Toppin". Associated Press. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  17. ^ "West Coast Conference Expands Footprint With Addition of the University of Denver" (Press release). West Coast Conference. October 31, 2025. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
  18. ^ "Hannah Hidalgo sets NCAA record with 16 steals in Notre Dame win". ESPN.com. November 12, 2025. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  19. ^ "Tommies come up short in arena opener" (Press release). St. Thomas Tommies. November 8, 2025. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  20. ^ "Tarleton State Women's Basketball begins 2025-26 in victory with win over Schreiner in opener" (Press release). Tarleton State Texans. November 3, 2025. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  21. ^ "Iona Tops New Haven on Sunday Afternoon" (Press release). New Haven Chargers. November 9, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  22. ^ "West Alabama 62–59 UAB (Nov 3, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  23. ^ "Delta State 76–68 Louisiana (Nov 7, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  24. ^ "Scranton 69–63 Pittsburgh (Nov 16, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  25. ^ Fee-Platt, Jordy (November 18, 2025). "How D-III Scranton made history with a shocking upset over Pitt". The New York Times. The Athletic. Retrieved November 27, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ "Faulkner 77–71 Alabama State (Nov 16, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. November 17, 2025. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  27. ^ "Carnegie Mellon 55–53 Saint Francis (Nov 18, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. November 18, 2025. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  28. ^ "Johns Hopkins 75–59 Morgan State (Nov 18, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. November 18, 2025. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  29. ^ "Loyola New Orleans 73–65 New Orleans (Nov 19, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. November 19, 2025. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  30. ^ "Roosevelt 82–70 Western Michigan (Nov 25, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. November 25, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  31. ^ "Edward Waters 55–46 Bethune–Cookman (Dec 5, 2025) Final Score". ESPN. December 5, 2025. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  32. ^ Staats, Wayne (March 6, 2026). "Here's how to pick March Madness women's upsets, according to the data".
  33. ^ "Joe McKeown Announces Retirement as Northwestern's Women's Basketball Head Coach at Conclusion of 2025-26 Season" (Press release). Northwestern Wildcats. March 24, 2025. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  34. ^ "WNBA's Wings name South Florida's Jose Fernandez as new coach". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 27, 2025. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  35. ^ "MICHELE WOODS-BAXTER NAMED INTERIM HEAD COACH OF USF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL" (Press release). South Florida Bulls. October 23, 2025. Retrieved October 27, 2025.