MOORHEAD, Minn. – For the second time in program history and the first time since 2020, the Bethel Royals are Women's Basketball Playoff champions of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).
No. 3 Bethel defeated No. 1 Concordia, 62-55, on Saturday to win the MIAC Women's Basketball Playoff championship.
| Box Score |
Bethel now heads to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament as the automatic qualifier from the MIAC.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-In a tightly contested game that included nine lead changes, Bethel held off Concordia for a 62-55 road victory.
-Three Royals finished in double figures, led by forward Emily Erickson's 15 points.
-The Bethel defense stymied Concordia, allowing just one player to reach double-digit points. Kaia Gack came off the bench to lead the Cobbers with ten points.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
-With the victory, Bethel earned the MIAC's automatic qualifier to the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. This is the eighth time in program history that the Royals will head to the national tournament.
-The Playoff title is the second for the Royals, and the program's first since 2020.
-Bethel is now the sixth different program to have won multiple MIAC women's basketball playoff titles, joining St. Thomas (9), Carleton (5), Gustavus (4), Saint Benedict (3), and Concordia (2).
CHAMPIONSHIP APPAREL
Official playoff team-champion apparel is available for online purchase via the MIAC Shop, powered by UNRestricted MKTG. The online MIAC Shop features officially licensed short-sleeve t-shirts, long-sleeves, and hooded sweatshirts to commemorate the 2026 playoff tournament.
NPI OUTLOOK
- The NCAA Power Index (NPI) is used to select the 21 at-large bids to the NCAA Division III Tournament after the 43 automatic qualifiers have been determined on March 1.
-The most recent NPI rankings on February 28, 2026, listed five MIAC teams in the top 50. Concordia is No. 10, Bethel is No. 17, Gustavus is No. 33, Saint Mary's is No. 41, and Hamline is No. 46. Last season's NPI cut line was 45.
-The MIAC appears certain to be a multi-bid league again this season, but how many additional conference squads receive an invitation to the national tournament will depend on which teams claim the other 42 conference AQs across the rest of D-III.
UP NEXT
-The 64-team bracket for the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship tournament will be revealed during the NCAA.com annual selection show on Monday, March 2, at 1:30 p.m. Central time.
-The opening rounds of the national tournament are scheduled for Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7. Sectionals will be played the following weekend, with the national semifinals on Thursday, March 19. The national championship will be played on Saturday, March 21, at the Cregger Center in Salem, Virginia.
-The MIAC will announce its annual women's basketball awards, including All-Conference, All-Playoff, and individual honors on Wednesday, March 4, at 2:00 p.m. Central time.
2026 MIAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals | Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026
No. 4 Saint Mary's 59, No. 5 Hamline 52 | Box Score |
No. 3 Bethel 87, No. 6 St. Scholastica 57 | Box Score |
Semifinals | Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026
No. 3 Bethel 73, No. 2 Gustavus 66 | Box Score |
No. 1 Concordia 71, No. 4 Saint Mary's 62 | Box Score |
Championship | Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026
No. 3 Bethel 62, No. 1 Concordia 55 | Box Score |
GAME TIMES ARE TENTATIVE