IRVING, Texas – The American Conference has announced a strategic non-conference scheduling partnership with the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), Ivy League, and Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) designed to elevate early-season competition amongst some of the top NCAA Division I women’s basketball conferences.
The agreement is a two-year partnership for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 seasons and features a tournament-style event on opening weekend each year, bringing together top programs from the four highly competitive conferences. Each league will designate its top two teams to participate annually, creating a high-level showcase that provides non-conference resume-building opportunities for each conference and enhances national visibility for women’s basketball.
Collectively, the partnership brings together four conferences that have
each earned multiple bids into the NCAA Tournament at least once in the last five years. Additionally, the four leagues have
each finished in the top-10 of the conference NET rankings at least three times in the last five years.
The 2026 field alone features a
concentration of Top-75 programs by NET ranking, creating an early-season environment designed to mirror the intensity and quality of postseason play and resume-building opportunities.
“The women’s basketball movement continues to gain momentum, and we are working hard to position the American at the forefront," said American Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti. “This innovative partnership with our colleagues at the Atlantic 10, Ivy League and Missouri Valley Conference on opening weekend creates a unique showcase that will build strong resumes for the postseason and puts our leagues in the national conversation from the first tip of the season."
Event Format
The 2026 event will take place at two host sites:
- Robins Center – University of Richmond (Richmond, Va.)
- Curb Event Center – Belmont University (Nashville, Tenn.)
Each participating team will compete in
two games over the opening weekend, scheduled for
November 6 and November 8, 2026.
2026 Matchups
Site 1: Richmond, Virginia – Robins Center
Day 1 (Friday, November 6)
- Rice (American) vs. Murray State (MVC)
- Richmond (A-10) vs. Princeton (Ivy League)
Day 2 (Sunday, November 8)
- Richmond (A-10) vs. Rice (American)
- Princeton (Ivy League) vs. Murray State (MVC)
Site 2: Nashville, Tennessee – Curb Event Center
Day 1 (Friday, November 6)
- South Florida (American) vs. Belmont (MVC)
- Rhode Island (A-10) vs. Columbia (Ivy League)
Day 2 (Sunday, November 8)
- Rhode Island (A-10) vs. South Florida (American)
- Columbia (Ivy League) vs. Belmont (MVC)
Building a Stronger Non-Conference Landscape
This initiative is rooted in a shared goal: to create more competitive and compelling non-conference opportunities for the top programs in each respective conference. By matching elite teams from each conference in a structured, high-profile setting, the partnership aims to:
- Enhance strength of schedule resumes for the four conferences and participating programs
- Provide fans with marquee early-season matchups
- Increase early-season national exposure and media interest
- Support the continued growth of women’s college basketball
Additional details, including broadcast information and ticketing, will be announced at a later date.