NCAA women's tournament expands to 76 teams for 2026-27 season

Quick answer

The 2026-27 NCAA women's college basketball season has started, and the NCAA Tournament has grown from 68 to 76 teams after the NCAA added eight at-large places in May 2026. The tournament opens on March 17 and ends with the national title game on April 4 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Key facts

The NCAA Tournament field grows from 68 to 76 teams this season.
The NCAA announced the eight extra at-large places in May 2026.
The opening round begins on March 17.
The title game is on April 4 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
No. 2 Michigan visits No. 3 USC on Jan. 30 and No. 10 UCLA on Feb. 2.
No. 1 South Carolina visits No. 6 Texas on Jan. 3.

How the 76-team tournament changes March

The biggest change to the 2026-27 women's college basketball calendar comes in March: the NCAA Tournament has expanded from 68 to 76 teams. The NCAA announced the eight additional at-large places in May 2026.

Play starts with an opening round on March 17, and teams that enter there have to win before reaching the traditional Round of 64. Programmes that used to sit just outside the field now have a better chance of a bid, but the extra games make the road to the title longer for some teams, which puts more weight on depth and player availability.

The season ends with the national championship game on April 4 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Which regular-season games matter most?

The Big Lead picks out South Carolina, UConn, UCLA, USC, Texas and Michigan as the teams to follow early, because each faces a heavy run of games against other top programmes. Rankings it cites put South Carolina at No. 1, Michigan at No. 2 and USC at No. 3, with Texas sixth, Vanderbilt eighth and UCLA 10th.

Michigan's Los Angeles road trip

Big Ten scheduling sends No. 2 Michigan to Los Angeles for two top-10 road games within 72 hours: at No. 3 USC on Jan. 30 and at No. 10 UCLA on Feb. 2. Both results could shape the conference standings and NCAA Tournament seeding.

UCLA won the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles last season. The Bruins also beat Michigan 69-66 and USC 73-50 in their previous meetings.

South Carolina's SEC tests

No. 1 South Carolina has two major SEC road trips: to No. 6 Texas on Jan. 3 and to No. 8 Vanderbilt on Feb. 4.

The Texas game stands out. The Longhorns entered the season on a programme-record 44-game home winning streak and with a 69-5 overall record at the Moody Center. They have also beaten South Carolina before.

Frequently asked questions

How many teams are in the NCAA women's basketball tournament this season?

76, up from 68, after the NCAA added eight at-large teams in May 2026.

When does the NCAA women's tournament start?

The opening round begins on March 17, and teams that enter there must win to reach the Round of 64.

Where is the women's national championship game?

The title game is on April 4 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

When does Michigan play USC and UCLA?

No. 2 Michigan visits No. 3 USC on Jan. 30 and No. 10 UCLA on Feb. 2.

Topics: ncaa women's basketball march madness south carolina michigan ucla texas