Don't Sleep on the Mid-Majors: Six Teams That Could Make Noise in 2026–27

Every year when women's college basketball begins, most of the conversation immediately centers around South Carolina, UConn, USC and the other national powers.

But March repeatedly reminds us of something important: talent exists everywhere. And several mid-major programs enter the 2026–27 season capable of making people pay attention.

Start with Fairfield. The Stags were unanimously selected to win their conference after finishing 28-4 last season and capturing their third consecutive league championship. Fairfield received votes in the AP preseason poll, and Kaety L'Amoreaux was unanimously chosen as the conference's preseason Player of the Year.

Then there is Princeton. The Tigers went 26-4 last season, won both the Ivy League regular-season and tournament championships and were selected first in the Ivy preseason poll with 15 first-place votes. Columbia, which won the WBIT last season, is right behind them and makes the Ivy League worth watching from top to bottom.

North Dakota State may be one of the more interesting programs outside the major conferences. The Bison finished 29-5 last season and were picked to win the Summit League for the first time in program history. Avery Koenen was also selected as the league's preseason Player of the Year.

Don't forget James Madison. The Dukes were picked to win the Sun Belt for the fourth consecutive season after winning the conference tournament and reaching the NCAA Tournament last year. Guard Bree Robinson returns after averaging 11.9 points while also contributing 82 steals and 111 assists.

Rice deserves attention too. The Owls won a program-record 29 games last season and went 17-1 in American Conference play. They were selected as the conference favorite this year, while senior guard Victoria Flores was unanimously named the league's preseason Player of the Year.

And one team I'm curious about is Santa Clara. The Broncos were picked to win the West Coast Conference after a 24-win season and WBIT appearance. They narrowly edged Portland in the preseason voting, which suggests the WCC race could be one of the more competitive mid-major battles this season.

These programs may not enter the season with the same television exposure or recruiting headlines as the Power Four schools. That doesn't mean they can't play.