The 2026 WBIT Tournament is poised to commence on March 19, 2026, in Wichita, Kansas, featuring a competitive 32-team bracket. The tournament will culminate with the championship game on April 1, 2026, at the Charles Koch Arena.
The bracket was officially announced on March 15, 2026, and includes notable matchups such as Georgia Tech facing Kansas State in the opening round. Georgia Tech has a strong postseason history, having received invitations to postseason tournaments in 12 of the last 14 seasons, and this marks their first WBIT appearance since the inaugural event in 2024.
In addition to Georgia Tech and Kansas State, the first round will showcase other intriguing matchups, including BYU against Alabama A&M and North Dakota State taking on Chattanooga. The semifinals are scheduled for March 30, 2026, and will be broadcast on ESPNU.
The championship game will be aired on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. on April 1, 2026. Georgia Tech’s head coach has made history by becoming the first in the program’s history to earn a postseason berth in their first year.
Georgia Tech finished the season with 14 wins, including an 8-10 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In contrast, Kansas State achieved 18 wins and also posted an 8-10 record in the Big 12. Historically, Kansas State holds a slight edge over Georgia Tech, leading their all-time series with two wins.
The WBIT Tournament allows for automatic bids to be awarded to the first four teams that do not make the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, as well as to the regular-season champions of any NCAA Division I conference not selected for the NCAA Championship.
Last year, Minnesota claimed victory in the 2025 WBIT, defeating Belmont in the championship game. As the tournament approaches, basketball enthusiasts are eager to see how the teams will perform and which will emerge as the new champion.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the exact start times for some of the games, including the matchup between Georgia Tech and Kansas State.
