IRVING, Texas – Three teams from the American Athletic Conference were selected to compete in the 2026 NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship, as the 64-team field was announced ahead of first-round play beginning Friday, May 1.
Rice Owls women's tennis secured the conference’s automatic bid after capturing the 2026 American Women’s Tennis Championship title, while Charlotte 49ers women's tennis and Wichita State Shockers women's tennis earned at-large selections.
Rice will travel to Baton Rouge for first- and second-round competition, opening against TCU Horned Frogs women's tennis on Friday. With a victory, the Owls would advance to face either No. 10-seeded LSU Tigers women's tennis or Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks tennis in the second round.
Charlotte is headed to Athens, where the 49ers will meet Elon Phoenix women's tennis in the opening round. A win would set up a matchup against either No. 1 overall seed Georgia Bulldogs women's tennis or Alabama State Hornets women's tennis.
Wichita State will compete in Norman, taking on SMU Mustangs women's tennis in the first round. The Shockers would face either No. 6-seeded Oklahoma Sooners women's tennis or Kansas Jayhawks women's tennis with an opening-round victory.
First- and second-round matches will be held May 1-2 at campus sites, with four teams competing in a single-elimination format at each location. Winners from each site will advance to super-regional play May 8-9, where two teams will compete for a berth in the national championship site.
The final eight teams will travel to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex, where the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship will be decided May 15-17.
2026 NCAA WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
American Conference pairings
First Round | May 1
Baton Rouge, La.
Rice (17-6) vs TCU (20-4)
Stephen F. Austin (11-8) vs (10) LSU (19-9)
Norman, Okla.
Wichita State (21-4) vs SMU (15-7)
Kansas (13-10) vs (6) Oklahoma (23-5)
Athens, Georgia
Charlotte (22-4) vs Elon (16-4)
Alabama State (11-9) vs (1) Georgia (18-5)