When it comes to basketball, March is definitely full of madness. In addition to the Division I league tournaments that dominated the news this weekend and the upcoming NCAA Division I tournament, Division II teams will also host their own championship match. That means there's even more basketball than you might have suspected out there, and there are plenty of teams and players worth watching.
The 2026 NCAA Division II women's basketball field was revealed on Sunday, March 8. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship game will be held at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from March 24-28, but there will be rounds of play for the 64-team spread to fight their way through first.
The first round of regional play will begin on March 13 and will run through Monday, March 16.
This year's Division II tournament will feature four HBCU teams
The tournament is stacked with a lot of talent, and that includes four HBCU teams this time around. The tournament will see games with teams who represent the CIAA and SIAC conferences.
The NCAA South Region will feature two teams, Miles College and Edward Waters University. Miles College enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed with a 25-6 record, and will begin the tournament against the No. 5 seed Nova Southeastern (who boasts their own 26-4 record). This is expected to be one of the fiercest first-round battles the tournament will see (and could even take top honors).
The Edward Waters University Tigers head into the tournament as the No. 8 seed and will play No. 1 seed Alabama-Huntsville, which comes into the tournament with a 28-5 record.
The Atlantic Region also features two teams, Winston-Salem State and Fayetteville State. The former enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed with a 26-3 record, and will play No. 6 seed Glenville State (who have a 24-6 record of their own). The latter, who have a 21-5 record, enter the tournament as the No. 5 seed, and will go up against No. 4 seed Seton Hill, who have a 21-8 record after the regular season.
Southern Connecticut State University is the No. 1 seed in their own league
Southern Connecticut State University, which represents the East Region, heads into the tournament as the No. 1 seed. The program will also host the eight-team bracket on March 13 at the James Moore Field House in New Haven, Conn, which is a big deal — the last time the team hosted was in 2007.
The Owls will first face the No. 8 seed Saint Michael's. Fans can typically catch the Division II tournament on ESPN+, and the champioship match is typically aired on Paramount+.