2026 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament

2026 NCAA Division III
women's basketball tournament
Teams64
Finals siteCregger Center,
Salem, Virginia
ChampionsDenison Big Red (1st title)
Runner-upScranton Royals (2nd title game)
Semifinalists
Winning coachMaureen Hirt (1st title)
MOPAbby Cooch (Denison)
NCAA Division III women's tournaments
«2025 2027»

The 2026 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament was the tournament hosted by the NCAA to determine the national champion of Division III women's college basketball among its member programs in the United States, culminating the 2025–26 season. It featured a field of 64 teams.

The first four rounds were played on campus sites, and the national semifinals and finals were held at the Cregger Center at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, from March 19–21, 2026.[1]

NYU's 91 game win streak was snapped in the Final Four by Scranton, it was the second longest streak in NCAA history.

Denison defeated Scranton in the final, 55–41, to claim the Big Red's first NCAA national title. Denison's Abby Cooch was named the tournament Most Outstanding Player.

Qualifying

A total of sixty-four bids are available for the tournament: Forty-three (43) automatic bids—awarded to the champions of the forty-three NCAA Division III conferences guaranteed a spot in the tournament and twenty-one (21) at-large bids to the highest rated programs that failed to win their respective leagues.

Tournament schedule and venues

Whitewater
Brunswick
Abilene
New York
Waukesha
Scranton
Lewiston
Baltimore
Moorhead
Oshkosh
Delaware
Holland
Lexington
Arden Hills
Granville
University Heights
Salem
2026 NCAA Division III Women's Tournament sites Campus sites, Hosted first four rounds Final Four

The first and second rounds took place on campus sites from March 6–7, 2026. Teams were sent to one of sixteen host campus sites, which all corresponded to the home arena of one of the four teams in each grouping of four teams.

The third and fourth rounds (the sectional semifinals and finals), will take place on campus sites from March 13–14, 2026. Teams will be sent to the home arena of one of the four remaining teams in their sectional bracket.

The national semifinals and finals will be held held at a predetermined site, the Cregger Center in Salem, Virginia, hosted by Roanoke College for the second consecutive year. The national semifinals will be played on March 19, and the final will be played on March 21.

Tournament bracket

* – denotes overtime

Top left sectional

First round
March 6, 2026
Campus sites 		Second round
March 7, 2026
Campus sites 		Sectional semifinals
March 13, 2026
New York, NY 		Sectional finals
March 14, 2026
New York, NY
        
NYU 108
Maine Farmington 44
NYU 70
New York, NY
Messiah 47
Messiah 64
Cortland 58
NYU 103
Hardin–Simmons 61
Hardin-Simmons 73
Austin 51
Hardin–Simmons 56
Abilene, TX
Whitman 35
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 54
Whitman 70
NYU 72
Wisconsin–La Crosse 47
Bowdoin 51
Emmanuel (MA) 42
Bowdoin 59
Brunswick, ME
Southern Maine 67
Southern Maine 62
JWU-Providence 46
Southern Maine 45
Wisconsin–La Crosse 66
Wisconsin–La Crosse 78
LaGrange 52
Wisconsin–La Crosse 80
Waukesha, WI
Carroll (WI) 60
Carroll (WI) 74
DePauw 67

Bottom left sectional

First round
March 6, 2026
Campus sites 		Second round
March 7, 2026
Campus sites 		Sectional semifinals
March 13, 2026
Scranton, PA 		Sectional finals
March 14, 2026
Scranton, PA
        
Scranton 104
Framingham State 39
Scranton 82
Scranton, PA
Otterbein 43
Otterbein 60
Randolph-Macon 45
Scranton 76
Bates 59
Bates 71
Merchant Marine 57
Bates 74*
Lewiston, ME
Smith 70
Smith 73
Union (NY) 55
Scranton 68
Concordia-Moorhead 42
Johns Hopkins 100
Hunter 59
Johns Hopkins 59
Baltimore, MD
Baldwin Wallace 46
Baldwin Wallace 75
William Paterson 51
Johns Hopkins 59
Concordia-Moorhead 64
Concordia-Moorhead 73
Wisconsin–Superior 61
Concordia-Moorhead 68
Moorhead, MN
Ripon 65
Ripon 84*
Wisconsin–River Falls 81

Top right sectional

First round
March 6, 2026
Campus sites 		Second round
March 7, 2026
Campus sites 		Sectional semifinals
March 13, 2026
Oshkosh, WI 		Sectional finals
March 14, 2026
Oshkosh, WI
        
Wisconsin–Oshkosh 53
Webster 37
Wisconsin–Oshkosh 65
Oshkosh, WI
Wisconsin Lutheran 56
Wisconsin Lutheran 65
Saint Mary's (MN) 47
Wisconsin–Oshkosh 64
Washington–St. Louis 43
Washington-St. Louis 65
Geneseo 53
Washington–St. Louis 73
Delaware, OH
Ohio Wesleyan 68
Ohio Wesleyan 68
DeSales 53
Wisconsin–Oshkosh 73
Chicago 56
Hope 103
Penn State Behrend 65
Hope 90*
Holland, MI
Illinois Wesleyan 85
Illinois Wesleyan 61
Washington & Jefferson 53
Hope 52
Chicago 55
Wisconsin-Whitewater 70
Transylvania 65
Wisconsin–Whitewater 46
Whitewater, WI
Chicago 62
Chicago 60
Gustavus Adolphus 44

Bottom right sectional

First round
March 6, 2026
Campus sites 		Second round
March 7, 2026
Campus sites 		Sectional semifinals
March 13, 2026
Lexington, VA 		Sectional finals
March 14, 2026
Lexington, VA
        
Washington & Lee 73
St. Mary's (MD) 44
Washington & Lee 61
Lexington, VA
Christopher Newport 55
Gettysburg 62
Christopher Newport 74
Washington & Lee 75
Bethel (MN) 67
Bethel (MN) 81
Millsaps 73
Bethel (MN) 57
Arden Hills, MN
Coe 48
Wisconsin–Platteville 51
Coe 69
Washington & Lee 64
Denison 77
Denison 82
Southern Virginia 47
Denison 63
Granville, OH
Trine 54
Trine 90
Shenandoah 45
Denison 86
John Carroll 67
John Carroll 84
TCNJ 49
John Carroll 74
University Heights, OH
New Paltz 54
New Paltz 67
Immaculata 51

Final Four

National semifinals
March 19
Salem, VA 		National championship
March 21
Salem, VA
    
NYU 52
Scranton 60
Scranton 41
Denison 55
Wisconsin–Oshkosh 61
Denison 82

See also

References

  1. ^ "Women's NCAA Tournament bracket is out!". d3hoops.com. D3 Hoops. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
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