WBIT 2026 Championship schedule, bracket, scores, dates, game times, tv channel for women's basketball tournament.
The Belmont women's basketball team's hope of claiming the school's first national championship was dashed Wednesday as it lost to Minnesota 75-63 in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament title game in Indianapolis.
The Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament announced the 32 teams and bracket for the 2026 tournament featuring Missouri State, a three seed in the tournament.
It is the second year of the WBIT, which has replaced the WNIT as the second-tier women's basketball postseason tournament. The WBIT field includes any regular-season conference champion that did not make the Women's NCAA Tournament.
The first four teams left out of the NCAA Tournament get automatic bids and make up the top four seeds.
The tournament gets started March 19 with first-round games and quarterfinals being held March 27. The first three rounds will be at the site of the higher seeds. The WBIT semifinals and championship games will be at Butler University's Hinkle Fieldhouse on March 31 and April 2.
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WBIT 2025 WINNER- The University of Minnesota women's basketball team (25-11, 8-10 B1G) defeated Belmont (26-9, 17-3 MVC) 75-63 at Hinkle Fieldhouse Wednesday night, winning the 2025 WBIT Championship.
McKinney led the Golden Gophers with a new career high 26 points and three steals. Heyer tacked on her seventh double-double this season with 18 points and 16 rebounds and Battle helped out with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
McKinney was named WBIT Tournament MVP while earning All-Tournament team honors alongside Battle.
When is the WBIT Selection Sunday, Date, time, how to watch
Selection Sunday: 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15 on ESPN+
2026 WBIT postseason event: The 32-team bracket will be announced on Sunday, March 15.
Complete 32 team field for the 2026 WBIT Basketball tournament Bracket (how field is selected)
The regular-season champion of any NCAA Division I conference (as determined by the conference’s tie-break protocol) not otherwise selected to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will secure an automatic qualification to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.
Co-champions who do not receive the declaration of WBIT representative through the conference’s tie-break protocol will not receive automatic qualification.
Institutions ineligible for postseason play will not receive automatic qualification as a regular-season champion.
2026 WBIT Field
In alphabetical order
Alabama A&M
BYU
Cal
Chattanooga
Columbia
Eastern Kentucky
George Mason
Georgia Southern
Georgia Tech
Harvard
Kansas
Kansas State
LA Tech
LMU (Ca.)
McNeese
Miami
Missouri
Navy
North Dakota State
Oregon State
Quinnipiac
Rice
San Diego State
Santa Clara
Seton Hall
St. John (NY)
Stanford
Texas A&M
Troy
UC Irvine
Utah
Wisconsin
When is 2026 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament: WBIT Dates
The first round of the 2026 NIT will begin on March 16 and will run until the championship game on April 1 at Wichita Kan. The first round, second round and quarterfinals will be played at campus sites. The semifinal and final will be played at Charles Koch Arena, WSU, Wichita, KS.
WBIT First Round: Thursday, March 19, at campus sites
WBIT Second Round: Sunday, March 22, at campus sites
WBIT Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 26, at campus sites
WBIT Semifinals: 2:30 and 5 p.m. on Monday, March 30
WBIT Championship: 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1
WBIT 2026 bracket, first round schedule, scores game times, tv channels, streaming
(All Times Eastern)
Tuesday, March 19
Eastern Kentucky 72, (1) Utah 58
McNeese 68, (1) Texas A&M 48
(1) North Dakota State 75, Chattanooga 62
(1) BYU 72, Alabama A&M 47
(2) Miami (FL) 82, Georgia Southern 56
(2) Kansas 79, Troy 70
(2) Kansas State 69, Georgia Tech 65
(2) Stanford 79, LMU 76
Quinnipiac 71, (3) George Mason 64
(3) Rice 66, Louisiana Tech 61
(3) Wisconsin 62, Oregon State 58
(3) California 72, Santa Clara 68
(4) Columbia 74, St. John's 26
(4) Missouri 67, Seton Hall 57
(4) Harvard 73, Navy 52
(4) San Diego State 61, UC Irvine 55
WBIT 2026 second round schedule, scores, game times, tv channels, streaming
Second Round: Sun., March 22, 2026 – Campus sites (TBD vs. TBD matchups, ESPN+)
WBIT 2026 bracket, schedule, scores, quarterfinal game times, tv channels, streaming
Quarterfinals: Thu., March 26, 2026 – Campus sites (TBD vs. TBD, ESPN+)
WBIT 2026 bracket, schedule, scores, semifinal game times, tv channels, streaming
WBIT Semifinals: 2:30 and 5 p.m. on Monday, March 30, on ESPNU at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan.
When is the 2026 WBIT championship game? Time, Date, TV, Streaming
WBIT Championship:
7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, on ESPN2 at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan.
How to watch 2026 WBIT Tournament
All 2026 WBIT games will be on ESPN+ and ESPNU.
WBIT first round: ESPN+
WBIT second round: ESPN+
WBIT quarterfinals: ESPN+
WBIT semifinals: ESPNU
WBIT championship game: ESPN2
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