FARMINGTON, Minn. — Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) women's basketball teams are set to return to the hardwood for the start of the 2026-27 season.
The regular season officially tips off on Friday, November 6, and will run through Saturday, February 20. The first conference games of the season are scheduled for Wednesday, December 2. Teams are set to play 18 conference games this season, with one game against every conference opponent and two games against seven league foes. As an even-odd year, women's teams will play after men's teams on doubleheader game dates.
The top six teams at the end of the regular season will head to the 2027 MIAC Women's Basketball Playoffs. The quarterfinal round is scheduled for Tuesday, February 23, with the semifinals set for Thursday, February 25, and the championship game slated for Saturday, February 27. The winner of the MIAC Playoffs will receive the conference's automatic bid to the 2027 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.
2025-26 Final Standings
| # |
Team |
Overall |
Conference |
| 1 |
Concordia *% |
26-5 |
16-2 |
| 2 |
Gustavus % |
18-9 |
14-4 |
| 3 |
Bethel #% |
24-7 |
14-4 |
| 4 |
Saint Mary's % |
20-8 |
13-5 |
| 5 |
Hamline |
19-7 |
13-5 |
| 6 |
St. Scholastica |
17-10 |
11-7 |
| 7 |
Saint Benedict |
16-9 |
11-7 |
| 8 |
St. Catherine |
11-14 |
6-12 |
| 9 |
Carleton |
7-18 |
2-16 |
| 10 |
St. Olaf |
7-18 |
2-16 |
| 11 |
Augsburg |
5-20 |
2-16 |
| 12 |
Macalester |
3-21 |
2-16 |
*MIAC Regular Season Champion | #MIAC Playoff Champion | %NCAA Tournament Participant
Rule Changes
The NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee and NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved several rule changes for the 2025-26 season that remain in effect for 2026-27. Several rule changes of note are cosmetic: the longtime requirement to tuck game jerseys into shorts has been eliminated; tights and leg sleeves must be the same legal color; and headbands are permitted at a width no more than four inches. In terms of gameplay, the shot clock will now be set to 20 seconds after a dead ball when the offense has been awarded a frontcourt throw-in. The committees also adjusted traveling rules related to jump stops and voted to eliminate multiple-touch fouls that do not impede or hinder the dribbler.
MIAC Sports Network
The MIAC Sports Network, powered by Hudl, returns as the streaming home of all MIAC-hosted games, events, and championships. The MIAC Sports Network is available on the web (miacsportsnetwork.com) along with streaming apps for television and mobile devices, including Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku (TV), iOS, Android (mobile), and Amazon Fire Tablet. The app can be found and installed free of charge by searching for the MIAC Sports Network.
The 2027 MIAC Women's Basketball Playoffs will be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network in a pay-per-view format. Individual playoff contests will be streamed for $10 each, or $25 for a "championship pass" to stream the entire tournament live. On-demand access to playoff games will be available after the NCAA Tournament concludes.
MIAC Mobile
MIAC fans can catch every score, stat, and update on the go by bookmarking the MIAC Scoreboard on their mobile devices.
Award Watch
MIAC coaches will vote on the 2026-27 MIAC Women's Basketball All-Conference honors at the conclusion of the regular season. In addition to an 18-player All-MIAC squad, coaches will also vote on individual awards for the MIAC Offensive, Defensive, Rookie, and Coach of the Year.
Throughout the regular season, the MIAC will recognize top individual performances with the MIAC Women's Basketball Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week awards. Athlete of the Week awards will begin on Monday, November 9, and be announced each Monday through the end of the regular season. During the week following the MIAC Playoffs, participating coaches will also select a nine-player All-Playoff Team to recognize outstanding performances throughout the conference tournament.
Looking Ahead
- D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25: No. 13 Concordia, RV Bethel, RV Gustavus, RV Saint Mary's
- D3hoops.com Preseason All-America: Concordia F Maya Metcalf (2T), Bethel F Emily Erickson (4T)
- WBCA Preseason Top 25: No. 16 Concordia, RV Bethel
- First Non-Conference Game Date: Friday, November 6
- First Conference Game Date: Wednesday, December 2
- MIAC Playoffs: Tuesday, February 23 (Quarterfinals), Thursday, February 25 (Semifinals), Saturday, February 27 (Championship)
| Standings | Schedule | News | Statistics | Athletes of the Week | Playoffs |