Champ Week is here, with 31 conference tournament crowns and automatic berths to the women’s NCAA tournament up for grabs.
Over the next 13 days, some teams will be fighting to extend their seasons, while others are looking to establish momentum and secure their spots in the NCAA bracket.
Champ Week kicks off Tuesday with the opening rounds of the Sun Belt Conference and Horizon League tournaments. The first automatic bid, the Ohio Valley Conference winner, is up for grabs Saturday.
The Power 4 events all run Wednesday through Sunday, with finals taking place Sunday, when eight total bids are on the line.
The final NCAA tournament automatic berths will be determined in the hours before the bracket reveal on Selection Sunday, when the Patriot League, NEC, CAA and Missouri Valley Conference each hold their championship games March 16.
ESPN predicts the winners of each conference tournament.
Champ Week schedule, auto-bids | Bracketology | Champ Week’s six biggest questions | Player of the Year for all 31 conferences
Ohio Valley Conference
Saturday, March 8 (4 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Kendra Andrews: Tennessee Tech
Charlie Creme: Eastern Illinois
Alexa Philippou: Tennessee Tech
Why Tennessee Tech will win: The Golden Eagles ended conference play on a 14-game win streak, and although the regular-season title wasn’t decided until the finale, they’ve been the most consistent team in the OVC all season. Their dominance and hot streak will continue in the conference tournament. — Andrews
Why Eastern Illinois will win: The Panthers were the last team to beat regular-season champ Tennessee Tech, and they did it by 31 points. EIU sports the OVC’s stingiest defense and its best player in Macy McGlone, a 6-foot-3 fifth-year senior who can dominate at both ends. She also might be hungry to make up for a four-point performance in last year’s OVC tournament semifinals. — Creme
Southern Conference
Sunday, March 9 (noon ET, ESPNU)
Andrews: UNC Greensboro
Creme: UNC Greensboro
Philippou: UNC Greensboro
Why UNC Greensboro will win: The Spartans’ 13-1 conference record marks its best SoCon finish in program history. They ended the regular season on an 11-game win streak for the first time since 1997. The Spartans have displayed strong shooting and an balanced scoring effort that should translate to continued success in the tournament — Andrews
Atlantic Coast Conference
Sunday, March 9 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Andrews: Notre Dame
Creme: Notre Dame
Philippou: Notre Dame
Why Notre Dame will win: Following back-to-back losses against NC State and Florida State, the Irish righted the ship in their regular-season finale against Louisville and can use that momentum to snag a second straight ACC tournament crown. It’s tough to pick against Hannah Hidalgo, who might have been in a slump much of February but now has a chance to turn the page in March. — Philippou
1:04
FSU’s Ta’Niya Latson drops 23 points in upset of No. 3 Notre Dame
Ta’Niya Latson leads No. 24 Florida State with 23 points in an upset win vs. No. 3 Notre Dame.
Southeastern Conference
Sunday, March 9 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Andrews: South Carolina
Creme: South Carolina
Philippou: South Carolina
Why South Carolina will win: The Gamecocks’ success under Dawn Staley can be measured in a number of ways. One is their overwhelming hold over what most have considered the best conference in the country. South Carolina has won four of the past five SEC tournaments and has lost five total conference games in that span. Having Texas in the league adds a new wrinkle, but South Carolina’s experience and de facto home crowd in Greenville will carry the day. — Creme
1:41
What to expect from the top two seeds in the SEC tourney
With the regular season over, Alyssa Lang and Steffi Sorensen analyze the women’s SEC tournament bracket and discuss their expectations for South Carolina and Texas.
Atlantic 10 Conference
Sunday, March 9 (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Andrews: Richmond
Creme: Richmond
Philippou: Richmond
Why Richmond will win: The Spiders’ offense has been the team’s engine all season and leads the A-10 in field goal percentage (50.2%) and 3-point shooting (39%) while also averaging 18.1 assists. The Spiders were the favorites to repeat as conference champion, and they’re closing in on adding a tournament title. — Andrews
Summit League
Sunday, March 9 (4 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
Andrews: South Dakota State
Creme: South Dakota State
Philippou: South Dakota State
Why South Dakota State will win: The last time the Jackrabbits lost a Summit League game of any kind was the tournament championship game in 2022. Their average margin of victory in 16 wins this season was 20.3 points. The dominance is overwhelming. — Creme
Big Ten Conference
Sunday, March 9 (4:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Andrews: USC
Creme: USC
Philippou: USC
Why USC will win: JuJu Watkins created some separation in the national player of the year race through the final stretch of conference play, and the Trojans simultaneously displayed just how much of a threat they are as a team. Even beyond Watkins’ dominance and strong play from Kiki Iriafen, USC has depth. The Trojans have cohesion. And lately, they not only have been the best team in the Big Ten but have shown more stability than a lot of the other title contenders in recent weeks. — Andrews
Big 12 Conference
Sunday, March 9 (5 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Andrews: TCU
Creme: TCU
Philippou: TCU
Why TCU will win: The Big 12 was a strange place this season, often producing unpredictable results, so who knows what might happen in Kansas City. But the Horned Frogs have been the conference’s most consistent squad, particularly with Kansas State — which would be TCU’s top challenger if healthy — still without star Ayoka Lee. — Philippou
0:24
TCU hangs on at buzzer to win program’s first Big 12 title
Baylor’s last-second heave is off the mark, securing TCU’s first Big 12 regular-season title.
Big South Conference
Sunday, March 9 (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Andrews: High Point
Creme: High Point
Philippou: High Point
Why High Point will win: The Panthers have held the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament in three of the past five years, and though they haven’t won it since 2021, they built momentum at the end of the regular season that should carry into the tournament. — Andrews
Sun Belt Conference
Monday, March 10 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Andrews: James Madison
Creme: James Madison
Philippou: James Madison
Why James Madison will win: The Dukes enter the postseason on a 19-game winning streak, the longest in program history since 2016. Only five of their 18 conference wins were decided by single digits. James Madison gives up the fewest points in the Sun Belt and leads the country in 3-point field goal percentage defense. — Creme
Big East Conference
Monday, March 10 (7 p.m. ET, FS1)
Andrews: UConn
Creme: UConn
Philippou: UConn
Why UConn will win: Paige Bueckers has never lost a Big East game (all three of the Huskies’ defeats since they rejoined the league happened when she was injured), and that’s not about to change this season in a relatively weak version of the conference. Only one of UConn’s Big East games this season was decided by fewer than 18 points: a 72-61 win over Creighton. — Philippou
Horizon League
Tuesday, March 11 (noon ET, ESPN2)
Andrews: Green Bay
Creme: Green Bay
Philippou: Green Bay
Why Green Bay will win: With guard Natalie McNeal, the Phoenix are a different team. The junior, averaging 14.4 points, is the team’s engine. The only game Green Bay dropped this season was when she was sidelined by an injury. Her play and leadership, combined with Green Bay’s conference-leading scoring defense, give the Phoenix a lethal combination. They ended the regular season on a 19-game win streak, tied for the second-longest active streak in D-I women’s basketball. — Andrews
West Coast Conference
Tuesday, March 11 (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Andrews: Gonzaga
Creme: Portland
Philippou: Portland
Why Portland will win: Though Gonzaga has been the dominant program in the WCC for years, the Pilots have recently had the Zags’ number in the postseason, beating them in each of the past two WCC finals. Gonzaga beat Portland twice during this regular season, but the Pilots otherwise had the better season, losing only one other game, with their losses coming by a combined 10 points. — Creme
Why Gonzaga will win: The Zags haven’t been as dominant through the regular season as they have in the past, but behind the play of Yvonne Ejim, who led the conference in points (21.2) and rebounds (8.9), they have the ability to knock off the Pilots for a third time this season. They need to stay tight with their defense, which was an issue at times this season. But they have proven to have the recipe to beat Portland. They now have to do it on a bigger stage. — Andrews
Big Sky Conference
Wednesday, March 12 (5 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Andrews: Montana State
Creme: Montana State
Philippou: Northern Arizona
Why Montana State will win: The Bobcats are led by core group of veteran players, and the addition of transfer senior guard Esmeralda Morales took them to another level. Montana State has a program-record 26 wins this season. It will be hard to slow the Cats in the Big Sky tournament. — Andrews
Why Northern Arizona will win: Montana State beat Northern Arizona both times they played in the regular season by a combined 13 points. But with their high-powered offense led by star junior forward Sophie Glancey, the Lumberjacks have extra motivation to flip the script heading into the conference tournament, where they’ve fallen in the finals each of the past three years. — Philippou
American Athletic Conference
Wednesday, March 12 (7 p.m. ET)
Andrews: UTSA
Creme: UTSA
Philippou: South Florida
Why UTSA will win: The Roadrunners have the league’s best scorer in Jordyn Jenkins and one of its best playmakers in Nina De Leon Negron. Former Texas coach Karen Aston has rebuilt the UTSA program. The Roadrunners’ 25 wins is a school record, and UTSA, in a league that is otherwise highly competitive, hasn’t lost a game in a month. — Creme
Why South Florida will win: South Florida has historically been the best AAC program not named UConn, and while the Bulls finished third in the league this season, they have some star power in Sammie Puisis, who can pop off from 3. If Puisis gets rolling in the final stretch of her college career, it could go a long way to helping USF get back to the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in five years. — Philippou
Mountain West Conference
Wednesday, March 12 (10:30 p.m. ET)
Andrews: UNLV
Creme: UNLV
Philippou: UNLV
Why UNLV will win: It took Lindy La Rocque one year to turn around the Lady Rebels, and they haven’t stopped winning since 2022. UNLV has won four consecutive MWC regular-season titles, going 66-4 in that span, and won the past three conference tournaments. The Lady Rebels are the best offense in the MWC by five points per game, and their one loss in league play was by one point at San Diego State. — Creme
Southland Conference
Thursday, March 13 (5 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Andrews: SE Louisiana
Creme: SE Louisiana
Philippou: SE Louisiana
Why SE Louisiana will win: Besides a two-point slipup on the final day of the regular season, the league belonged to the Lady Lions from the first day of conference play. Their 19-1 record tied the mark set by Stephen F. Austin’s in 2002 as the best record in conference history. The 19-game winning streak is the longest in program history. — Creme
America East Conference
Friday, March 14 (5 p.m. ET)
Andrews: Albany
Creme: Albany
Philippou: Vermont
Why Albany will win: Having home-court advantage will be huge for the Great Danes, who went 14-0 at home this season. They can win multiple ways, whether by dominating the game or rallying to come from behind. — Andrews
Why Vermont will win: The Catamounts have played in the America East championship game the past two years (winning in 2023). With senior Anna Olson leading the way, they could find themselves there again next week. Vermont boasts the best scoring offense and defense in the conference, and should have confidence after defeating top-seeded Albany in their most recent meeting in February. — Philippou
Atlantic Sun Conference
Saturday, March 15 (TBD)
Andrews: Florida Gulf Coast
Creme: Florida Gulf Coast
Philippou: Florida Gulf Coast
Why Florida Gulf Coast will win: The Eagles have won 51 straight ASUN games and the past seven conference tournaments. They have lost one game (Dec. 16) since Chelsea Lyles took over as head coach after Karl Smesko departed for the Atlanta Dream. This version of FGCU isn’t the 3-point shooting juggernaut of past seasons, but the Eagles cruised through ASUN play, winning all 18 games by an average margin of 21.3 points. — Creme
Mid-American Conference
Saturday, March 15 (11 a.m. ET, CBSSN)
Andrews: Ball State
Creme: Ball State
Philippou: Ball State
Why Ball State will win: With two of the best players in the MAC in Ally Becki and Alex Richard, the Cardinals are having their most successful conference season in two decades. They outscore their MAC opponents by over 12 points a game. With a win in one of their last two regular-season games this week, Ball State will have gone wire-to-wire in winning the conference title outright. — Creme
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Saturday, March 15 (1:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Andrews: Fairfield
Creme: Fairfield
Philippou: Fairfield
Why Fairfield will win: The Stags have put together yet another undefeated run in the MAAC (with two games left in the regular season). Fairfield ranks at the top of the league in both scoring offense and defense, and looks poised to clinch its second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance under third-year coach Carly Thibault-Dudonis. — Philippou
Western Athletic Conference
Saturday, March 15 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Andrews: Grand Canyon
Creme: Grand Canyon
Philippou: Grand Canyon
Why Grand Canyon will win: The Lopes haven’t lost since Nov. 18 in a nonconferene game. They are riding a nation-best 25-game win streak, including an 18-0 mark at home this season. They dominated their conference (14-0), and no other team won more than nine conference games. — Andrews
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Saturday, March 15 (4 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Andrews: Norfolk State
Creme: Norfolk State
Philippou: Norfolk State
Why Norfolk State will win: The Spartans have been a force in the MEAC for three consecutive seasons and have been even more dominant since Diamond Johnson arrived from NC State before the 2023-24 season. She leads the league in scoring and ranks second in assists. Norfolk State has won the past three conference tournaments, and has lost only one MEAC game in two years. — Creme
Conference USA
Saturday, March 15 (4:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
Andrews: Middle Tennessee
Creme: Middle Tennessee
Philippou: Middle Tennessee
Why Middle Tennessee will win: The Blue Raiders are one win away from their third straight regular-season CUSA title. They were able to pair tournament championships with the first two. The core group of Courtney Blakely, Jalynn Gregory, Anastasiia Boldyreva and Ta’Mia Scott that helped produce that success all remain for one final postseason run. — Creme
Ivy League
Saturday, March 15 (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Andrews: Columbia
Creme: Princeton
Philippou: Columbia
Why Columbia will win: Princeton has historically dominated Ivy Madness, but Columbia has had the Tigers’ number this season, winning both matchups. With the No. 1 overall seed — which they managed to secure behind a strong guard corps despite graduating former star Abbey Hsu — this can be the year the Lions finally win the league tournament, guaranteeing consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. — Philippou
Why Princeton will win: Ivy Madness is Princeton’s domain. The Tigers have won the past three, and despite losing three starters in the offseason and their best returning player, Madison St. Rose, to a knee injury four games into this season, they are right back here again. And once the teams get to Providence, coach Carla Berube and her staff know the secret to success better than anyone — Creme
Southwestern Athletic Conference
Saturday, March 15 (5:30 p.m. ET)
Andrews: Southern
Creme: Alabama A&M
Philippou: Southern
Why Southern will win: The Jaguars hit a nice stride as they closed out conference play, and they can take over games behind the scoring and rebounding of Aniya Gourdine and Soniyah Reed. — Andrews
Why Alabama A&M will win: The Bulldogs have the best balance of offensive and defensive productivity in the conference and one of its best shooters in Kalia Walker. She has blossomed since transferring from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, nearly doubling her scoring average from a season ago. — Creme
Big West Conference
Saturday, March 15 (6 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Andrews: Hawaii
Creme: Hawaii
Philippou: Hawaii
Why Hawaii will win: Before a stumble in their final trip of the season, the Rainbow Wahine rode their balance, depth and the Big West’s best defense to a 14-game winning streak. Led by Lily Wahinekapu, nine Hawaii players average at least 15 minutes, and six of them average six points or more. — Creme
Patriot League
Sunday, March 16 (TBD, CBSSN)
Andrews: Lehigh
Creme: Lehigh
Philippou: Lehigh
Why Lehigh will win: The Mountain Hawks dominated the Patriot League for stretches of the season — winning 12 games in a row at one point — and are pretty much unstoppable when they have a balanced scoring attack. Six players average over 20 minutes, with three averaging more than 15 points. They have a number of weapons on which they can rely any given night. — Andrews
Northeast Conference
Sunday, March 16 (noon ET, ESPNU)
Andrews: Fairleigh Dickinson
Creme: Fairleigh Dickinson
Philippou: Fairleigh Dickinson
Why Fairleigh Dickinson will win: The Knights are unbeaten in league play and ran away from the pack in the NEC. With the league’s highest-scoring offense and top defense, FDU is leading the standings by five games heading into Thursday’s regular-season finale. The 25 wins is a program record, and Teneisia Brown‘s 14 double-doubles rank 20th in the country. — Creme
Coastal Athletic Association
Sunday, March 16 (2 p.m. ET, CBSSN)
Andrews: NC A&T
Creme: NC A&T
Philippou: NC A&T
Why NC A&T will win: The best defense in the CAA has led the Aggies to the top of the standings, where they have been since mid-January. Led by top scorer Jordyn Dorsey, Chaniya Clark and sharp-shooter Ajia James, the Aggies are also the most accurate shooting team in the league. — Creme
Missouri Valley Conference
Sunday, March 16 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
Andrews: Drake
Creme: Drake
Philippou: Drake
Why Drake will win: With five teams within a game of the top spot heading into the final week of the regular season, the MVC might be the most competitive league in the country. Experience will be the difference in the conference tournament. The Bulldogs have won the past two. It also doesn’t hurt to have the league’s best point guard and top scorer in senior Katie Dinnebier. — Creme
