No. 1 UConn has aced every test in the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season so far, as No. 23 Notre Dame looks to disrupt the undefeated Huskies' national title defense in Monday's nonconference lineup.
Fresh off a 79-66 ranked loss to No. 9 Louisville on Thursday night, the Irish will lean hard on star guard Hannah Hidalgo on Monday.
The junior is averaging 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists on the season, while Hidalgo's 25.1 points-per-game rate trails only No. 19 Iowa State star Audi Crooks on the NCAA stat sheet.
"It's a long season, and I can't dwell on the loss for too long because my team needs me," Hidalgo said after Thursday's fall to the Cardinals.
On the flip side, UConn is racking up blowout wins, with the team's last single-digit victory dating back to a pre-Thanksgiving 72-69 win over No. 8 Michigan on November 21st.
The Huskies are now riding a 34-game winning streak, fueled by consistent output from sophomore Sarah Strong and senior Azzi Fudd.
"I've been trying to tell the girls that UConn is a different beast," Hidalgo said. "If we think certain teams that we have lost to were tough, then we're going to have a rude awakening [against] UConn."
How to watch Notre Dame vs. UConn women's basketball
The No. 1 Huskies will host the No. 23 Fighting Irish at 5 PM ET on Monday, with live coverage airing on FOX.
Unranked Notre Dame made a statement last weekend, as the Fighting Irish took down No. 22 North Carolina 73-50 to earn their second ranked win of the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season on Sunday.
While guards Cassandre Prosper and Vanessa de Jesus bolstered Notre Dame with 17 and 16 points, respectively, junior star Hannah Hidalgo led the Irish's charge, putting up 31 points as well as snagging six steals in the afternoon matchup.
"Hidalgo was a real problem," Tar Heels head coach Courtney Banghart said postgame. "Obviously, she disrupted us in all ways, I think most of those 27 points off turnovers was because of her."
After a volatile offseason, the Irish saw their 85-week AP Top 25 streak end earlier this month following back-to-back losses to ACC foes Georgia Tech and Duke — but Notre Dame has since rattled off two straight wins to potentially re-enter the rankings conversation.
"I'm challenging them in practice," said Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey. "We're learning from our mistakes, and we're getting better. That's what I love. This group allows me to do that."
How to watch Notre Dame basketball this week
Notre Dame will face another tough test on Thursday, when the unranked Irish host a surging No. 10 Louisville at 6 PM ET, airing live on ACCN.
Monday's AP Top 25 Poll featured few dramatics, as the Week 8 tally reflected another consistent slate from the 2025/26 NCAA basketball elite with only one shift in the Top 10 and marginal movement at the bottom.
Undefeated TCU keeps making gains, rising one spot to tie Oklahoma at No. 8 after taking down Big 12 foe Kansas State 77-55 behind senior guard Olivia Miles's 29-point performance on Saturday.
On the other hand, a 90-64 loss to No. 1 UConn on Saturday saw Iowa skid three spots, with the now-No. 14 Hawkeyes falling to a 1-2 record against ranked opponents this season.
Outside the relatively stationary Top 10, some blue chip programs are threatening to exit the AP Poll entirely after dropping ranked games last weekend.
Baylor experienced the greatest slide, dropping seven spots to No. 22 after falling 61-60 to Big 12 rival and rankings newcomer No. 21 Texas Tech on Sunday — the Bears' third loss in their season's four ranked games so far.
Tennessee saw a similar dip, plummeting six spots to No. 23 after losing to a surging No. 13 Louisville 89-65 on Saturday.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
The ranked action returns on Sunday, as No. 4 UCLA visits No. 19 Ohio State at 2 PM ET, live on the Big Ten Network.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 8
1. UConn (12-0, Big East)
2. Texas (14-0, SEC)
3. South Carolina (12-1, SEC)
4. UCLA (11-1, Big Ten)
5. LSU (13-0, SEC)
6. Michigan (10-1, Big Ten)
7. Maryland (13-0, Big Ten)
T8. TCU (13-0, Big 12)
T8. Oklahoma (12-1, SEC)
10. Iowa State (13-0, Big 12)
11. Kentucky (12-1, SEC)
12. Vanderbilt (12-0, SEC)
13. Louisville (12-3, ACC)
14. Iowa (10-2, Big Ten)
15. Ole Miss (12-2, SEC)
16. UNC (11-3, ACC)
17. USC (9-3, Big Ten)
18. Notre Dame (9-2, ACC)
19. Ohio State (11-1, Big Ten)
20. Nebraska (12-0, Big Ten)
21. Texas Tech (14-0, Big 12)
22. Baylor (11-3, Big 12)
23. Tennessee (8-3, SEC)
24. Michigan State (11-1, Big Ten)
25. Princeton (12-1, Ivy)
While the AP Top 10 stayed mostly intact this week, a few programs — including the Oklahoma Sooners — are making a case for themselves as the 2025/26 NCAA women's basketball season's nonconference schedule hits its peak.
The Sooners were the only Top 10 riser in Monday's AP Poll, jumping one spot to No. 8 after taking down rivals Oklahoma State 92-70 on Saturday — a game that sent the Cowgirls out of the rankings entirely.
Bouncing back from an early season loss to No. 4 UCLA, Oklahoma's strengthening record dislodged undefeated TCU, with the Horned Frogs falling to No. 9 despite a perfect week against unranked competition.
Meanwhile, No. 1 UConn retained their crown after Saturday's top-ranked win over now-No. 19 USC, while No. 2 Texas continues to shine after humbling in-state rivals No. 15 Baylor on Sunday.
The Longhorns received eight first-place votes this week, a tick down from the last round after notching two Top 5 wins in late November.
Despite some ranked blowouts, the ACC saw the greatest movement, as No. 16 Louisville rocketed up six spots after upsetting then-No. 12 North Carolina — sending the Tar Heels skidding the same distance down to No. 18.
The SEC also saw gains, as No. 12 Kentucky and No. 14 Ole Miss both rose three spots as they creep toward the Top 10 with one loss apiece.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 7
1. UConn (10-0, Big East)
2. Texas (12-0, SEC)
3. South Carolina (10-1, SEC)
4. UCLA (9-1, Big Ten)
5. LSU (11-0, SEC)
6. Michigan (9-1, Big Ten)
7. Maryland (12-0, Big Ten)
8. Oklahoma (11-1, SEC)
9. TCU (11-0, Big 12)
10. Iowa State (12-0, Big 12)
11. Iowa (10-1, Big Ten)
12. Kentucky (11-1, SEC)
13. Vanderbilt (10-0, SEC)
14. Ole Miss (10-1, SEC)
15. Baylor (10-2, Big 12)
16. Louisville (10-3, ACC)
17. Tennessee (7-2, SEC)
18. UNC (9-3, ACC)
19. USC (7-3, Big Ten)
20. Notre Dame (8-2, ACC)
21. Ohio State (9-1, Big Ten)
22. Washington (9-1, Big Ten)
23. Nebraska (11-0, Big Ten)
24. Michigan State (9-1, Big Ten)
25. Princeton (10-1, Ivy)
No. 2 Texas will continue their ambitious 2025/26 NCAA basketball nonconference schedule on Thursday, when the Longhorns take on the No. 11 North Carolina Tar Heels as part of the annual two-day ACC/SEC Challenge.
The game will mark Texas' third ranked matchup in nine days, after the Longhorns claimed a pair of impressive wins over No. 3 South Carolina and No. 4 UCLA at the Players Era Championship last week.
"We're still a long way from a finished product," said Texas head coach Vic Schaefer, tempering early season expectations following his team's 81-63 win over unranked Penn on Sunday.
Now in its third iteration, this year's ACC/SEC Challenge opened with the SEC taking a commanding lead between the two conferences in Wednesday's action.
In the day's tightest tilt, Oklahoma guard Aaliyah Chavez — the No. 1 recruit of the 2025/26 freshman class — scored a blistering 33 points to help her No. 9 Sooners to a 103-98 overtime win over NC State.
Elsewhere, No. 19 Tennessee survived an upset bid from unranked Stanford 65-62 to keep the SEC all but perfect on the day, as Syracuse tallied the only ACC win out of the seven Challenge games thus far — a 66-60 overtime victory over also-unranked Auburn.
However, the annual event heats up on Thursday, when the Challenge's three Top-25 matchups take the court.
In addition to the No. 2 Longhorns hosting the No. 11 Tar Heels, Thursday's docket features No. 3 South Carolina visiting No. 22 Louisville and No. 13 Ole Miss taking on No. 18 Notre Dame.
How to watch the Top-25 tilts in the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge
Thursday's first ranked matchups begin at 7 PM ET, with UNC vs. Texas on ESPN2 while South Carolina faces Louisville on ESPN.
Notre Dame will then close out the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge against Ole Miss at 9 PM ET, airing live on ESPN2.
No. 4 Texas blew past two top-ranked opponents last week, setting the tone for the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season with back-to-back wins over No. 3 UCLA and No. 2 South Carolina to earn the Players Era Championship trophy on Thanksgiving Day.
Fifth-year senior Rori Harmon was named tournament MVP, putting up a game-leading 26 points and breaking the Longhorns' career assists record in Wednesday's 76-65 defeat of UCLA before hitting the game-winner to lift Texas over the Gamecocks 66-64 in Thursday's title game.
"I just read the vibe and flow of the game," Harmon said afterward. "[Texas head coach Vic Schaefer] called the play at the end of the game, and I've been in this moment before, so it felt good coming out of my hands."
Texas's win added fuel to the burgeoning SEC rivalry, with the teams squaring off five times in the last year — and South Carolina riding a narrow 3-2 advantage.
"I'm not upset at all," Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said postgame. "This is going to help us because there are a lot of things to unpack in it."
"If you can give [Texas] a run for their money in that way, I mean, you're on to something," she continued. "I like our resiliency. We've just got to clean up some things at the end of the game."
How to watch Texas, South Carolina this week
Both Texas and South Carolina have another ranked matchup on this week's NCAA docket, with the No. 4 Longhorns taking on the No. 12 UNC Tar Heels while the No. 2 Gamecocks face the No. 23 Louisville Cardinals.
Both games tip off at 7 PM ET on Thursday, with Texas vs. UNC airing live on ESPN2 while South Carolina vs. Louisville airs on ESPN.
The top-ranked UConn Huskies are gearing up for their stiffest competition yet in the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season, as the defending national champions welcome the No. 6 Michigan Wolverines to Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday.
Both teams enter the game with undefeated records and a ranked win under their belts, with the Huskies taking down No. 21 Louisville in their season-opener before Michigan dramatically humbled No. 24 Notre Dame last weekend.
"Based on what I've seen from Michigan, they will be, for sure, the best team we play this year by a long shot at this time in the season," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma.
While UConn arrives armed with national talents like last season's Freshman of the Year Sarah Strong and the 2025 Final Four's Most Outstanding Player Azzi Fudd, rising NCAA basketball star Michigan will look to prove they can hang with college basketball's big dogs.
"They are all incredibly unselfish — they don't care who scores," longtime Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said of her squad. "The really good teams like UConn and South Carolina are the same way."
"Connecticut is really, really good," she added. "Our kids want to compete against the best. I always have a stomachache when those games are on our schedule."
How to watch No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 1 UConn on Friday
The Huskies will tip off against the Wolverines at 8 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on FOX.
NCAA basketball is officially back in action, and the reigning champion No. 1 UConn Huskies will tip off their 2025/26 season against the No. 20 Louisville Cardinals in the recently relocated Armed Forces Classic on Tuesday afternoon.
The clash will make history as the first-ever women's edition of college basketball's military-site showdown, as UConn opens their season against a ranked opponent for the first time since 2017.
"It's going to be a lot of learning with five new players," Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma said earlier this week. "There's a lot of exciting things that are ahead of us… and I want to help them overcome some of those challenges we're going to have."
Despite losing 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers to the WNBA last April, the Huskies enter the season with a healthy roster and more depth than recent years, centering the team around returning starters like top-ranked sophomore forward Sarah Strong and grad student guard Azzi Fudd.
"I have to learn how to sub again," Auriemma joked about having a complete bench to draw from. "We've had three or four years in a row there where there's nobody to sub."
Staying atop the NCAA rankings won't be easy, however — a lesson the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils learned after suffering the 2025/26 NCAA season's first top-ranked upset to the No. 16 Baylor Bears on Monday.
"I think you can learn a lot from the first game of the season, especially when you're playing a good team, because they expose a lot of things about you on both ends," said Duke head coach Kara Lawson about the 58-52 loss.
How to watch UConn vs. Louisville in the Armed Forces Classic
The No. 1 UConn Huskies will tip off the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season by taking on the No. 20 Louisville Cardinals at the US Naval Academy at 5:30 PM ET on Tuesday.
The clash will air live on ESPN.
Reigning NCAA basketball champion UConn is facing a change of scenery, with the ongoing government shutdown forcing the top-ranked Huskies to move their November 4th season-opener against the No. 20 Louisville Cardinals from Germany's Ramstein Air Base to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Dubbed the Armed Forces Classic, the game was originally on track to be Ramstein's first-ever women's matchup, with this season's Huskies following in the overseas footsteps of the UConn men, who defeated Michigan State in the inaugural Classic in 2012.
This year's 10th edition would have marked the third Armed Forces Classic at Ramstein, after the 2017 game between Texas A&M and West Virginia also took place at the German base.
Though the move is an unplanned pivot, this season's matchup will not be the first time that the Armed Forces Classic occurs on domestic soil, with previous iterations bringing NCAA games to US military sites in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Texas, Alaska, and California.
"We're excited to have [the] opportunity to play at the academy," Louisville head coach Jeff Walz told The AP after last week's venue change. "It's going to be a great experience for our players. Everyone was excited about going to Germany and playing at Ramstein, but we will make the best of this."
Overseas bases operate at reduced levels during a government shutdown, impacting on-ground access for both the schools and broadcasters.
"We're appreciative of the Naval Academy for helping provide a first-class venue for this first-ever women's college basketball matchup that will showcase perennial powers Louisville and UConn," added ESPN VP of events Clint Overby.
How to watch the UConn vs. Louisville in the Armed Forces Classic
The No. 1 UConn Huskies will tip off the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season by taking on the No. 20 Louisville Cardinals at the US Naval Academy on Tuesday, November 4th.
The clash will tip off at 5:30 PM ET on ESPN.
The 2024/25 NCAA basketball season is down to its 10 final days of competition, with conference tournament seeding hanging in the balance as top teams try to build up some March Madness momentum.
Proving that nothing is guaranteed, two teams suffered upset losses on Thursday night.
In the ACC, No. 11 Duke fell to unranked Louisville 70-62. Though senior guard Jayda Curry led both the Cardinals and the game with 24 points, Louisville's victory came largely from the free throw line, where the Cards snagged 22 points but the Blue Devils only banked four.
The Big Ten followed suit, when unranked Indiana downed No. 8 Ohio State 71-61. Fueled by double-digit performances from four different Hoosiers, Indiana took an early lead and never relented, outshooting and out-rebounding the Buckeyes to hand them their fourth loss on the season.
NCAA conference titles take center court in decisive weekend matchups
While some teams are stumbling at the finish line, others have a shot at clinching conference hardware this weekend.
With a two-win lead on the ACC table, No. 1 Notre Dame has the chance to lock down the conference's regular-season title on Sunday, when the Irish will take on second-place No. 13 NC State.
The consequential clash has earned Raleigh a visit from ESPN’s College Gameday, with the pre-game show slated to build upon last weekend’s success in South Carolina with another high-stakes matchup.
Meanwhile in the SEC, No. 7 LSU’s season is also on the line. Unlike the Irish, however, the Tigers are simply trying to keep their dwindling conference title hopes alive, facing a must-win game against No. 14 Kentucky on Sunday.
To claim the SEC’s No. 1 seed, LSU would also need both No. 2 Texas and No. 6 South Carolina to stumble in their regular-season home stretch.
Beyond conference titles, the regular season’s wind-down can provide insights into how far teams can run into the postseason, as any upsets this week could spell busted brackets — or unexpected surges — come March.
How to watch Sunday's Top 15 NCAA basketball games
No. 1 Notre Dame will tip off the ranked Sunday action against No. 13 NC State at 12 PM ET, with live coverage of the ACC titans airing on ESPN.
Then at 4 PM ET, No. 7 LSU will try to steal a road win over No. 14 Kentucky, with ESPN also airing the decisive SEC meeting.