Nearly 30 NCAA women's college basketball programs are switching conferences ahead of the 2026/27 season. The early July moves amount to the biggest single-year reshuffling in recent NCAA basketball history, with the conference realignment touching every level of the sport.
The Pac-12 Returns to NCAA Women's College Basketball
At the center of it all sits the rebuilt Pac-12. The conference nearly collapsed to just two members in Oregon State and Washington State. Now, it has added Texas State, Gonzaga, and five former Mountain West programs in Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State.
That brings Pac-12 basketball back to nine teams and restores its footprint across the West. The women's conference tournament is already set for March 9-13, 2027 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Beyond the Pac-12, more teams found new conference homes ahead of the upcoming season.
The Mountain West lost five teams but plugged the gaps by adding Hawaii, UC Davis, and UTEP. Meanwhile, the Western Athletic Conference relaunched under the United Athletic Conference name, pulling in six former ASUN programs. UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego will also shift to the WCC starting in 2027.
For women's college basketball, the reshuffling brings fresh conference matchups, new travel demands, and a recalibrated path to March.
