For Immediate Release
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Full Regional Rankings

INDIANAPOLIS - The second edition of the NCAA Division II women's basketball regional rankings were released and the NSIC has four teams ranked in the central region. Minnesota State is ranked first, while Concordia-St. Paul is fourth, Minnesota Duluth ninth and the University of Mary tenth in the second of three rankings. 

The NSIC, the Great American Conference (GAC) and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) make up the 41-team NCAA Central Region again this year.  The top eight teams in the region advance to the NCAA Regional Tournament on March 13, 14 & 16.  Automatic bids are granted to the winners of the NSIC, GAC and MIAA postseason tournaments, with the remaining five spots being awarded on an at-large basis.

The NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show is on Sunday, March 8. The NCAA Elite Eight will take place on March 24, 26, 28 at UMPC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh. 
 

CENTRAL
RK	School (Conf)	DII	In-Reg
1	Minnesota State (NSIC)	26-1	22-1
2	Fort Hays State (MIAA)	23-3	22-3
3	Harding (GAC)	22-4	21-4
4	Concordia-St. Paul (NSIC)	21-6	21-6
5	Central Missouri (MIAA)	19-5	17-5
6	Washburn (MIAA)	19-7	18-6
7	Arkansas Tech (GAC)	17-6	17-6
8	Northwestern Oklahoma (GAC)	16-8	16-8
9	Minnesota Duluth (NSIC)	19-7	19-7
10	UMary (NSIC)	20-9	18-9

 
Selection Information | Central Region

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 27 team national championships and crowned 122 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org. 

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.