We Speak Women's College Basketball

NCAA launches fan cutout program for 2021 Women’s Final Four

Published

6 years ago

March 10, 2021

umeektv

Fundraising effort will support national and local charities

Women’s basketball fans will have the opportunity to be represented at the Women’s Final Four in San Antonio as part of a new fan cutout program that will support several causes.

All proceeds from the cutout program will benefit three nonprofits: the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, which awards research grants and funds programs to serve the underserved in the fight against all cancers affecting women; the Pat Summitt Foundation, which funds research for treatment and a cure for Alzheimer’s disease while supporting patients and caregivers; and the San Antonio Food Bank, which serves hundreds of thousands of individuals at risk for hunger across southwest Texas.

“This fan cutout initiative provides an opportunity for women’s basketball fans — who have passionately supported the growth of the game — to continue to make an impact during an unprecedented year,” said Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball. “While the program will enhance the in-venue experience for participating teams, it will more importantly support causes that are close to the hearts of the women’s basketball and San Antonio communities.”

Cutouts at the Women’s Final Four will be interspersed with limited fan seating available for the games. Earlier this year, the NCAA announced in conjunction with local health officials that tournament venues in San Antonio would host up to 17% capacity with masking and physical distancing of fans.

Cutouts will be featured inside the Alamodome for the Women’s Final Four semifinal games and the national championship game. Sales begin today and conclude Sunday, March 28. Cutouts cost $100 and can be purchased at ncaa.com/womens-final-four. Current college students can purchase cutouts at a discounted rate of $50 with their school email address.

For an additional fee, fans can choose to ship the cutouts home afterward to keep as a memento. Any cutouts that are not purchased will be recycled after the event.

“The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is honored and grateful to be a beneficiary of the NCAA’s fan cutouts initiative at the 2021 Women’s Final Four. We continue to be so appreciative of the impact women’s basketball is making in the fight against all cancers affecting women,” said Kay Yow Cancer Fund CEO, Stephanie Glance. “Coach Yow loved the championship, and she believed in the power of uniting people for a common cause. What better way to show our unity at this time than through a fan-based initiative that will be a visible display of support at the championship.”

“It is such an honor to be chosen by the NCAA to be featured as one of the three charities of choice for this amazing initiative,” said Joan Cronan, advisory board chair for the Pat Summitt Foundation. “We are grateful to be featured alongside the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and the San Antonio Food Bank. Thank you to the NCAA for supporting our mission to defeat Alzheimer’s and carrying on coach Summitt’s legacy.”

“In a time when the pandemic has brought fear and isolation, San Antonio Sports has brought us the NCAA Women’s Final Four,” said Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank. “Watching the NCAA Women’s Final Four will feed the soul of fans across the world, while the fundraising from the tournament will help the San Antonio Food Bank to feed the hungry across our community. I encourage fans to follow the example of the NCAA Women’s Final Four by supporting your local Feeding America food bank so we can ensure that all our neighbors who struggle to put food on the table get nourished.”

We Speak Women's College Basketball

ACC Women’s Basketball Begins 2026-27 Regular Season on Sunday

Published

2 days ago

October 31, 2026

We Speak Media

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, number 3, in a navy Irish jersey on court during a women's college basketball game

The 50th season of Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball tips off on Sunday, November 1, with No. 13 Notre Dame taking on Villanova in the inaugural Eternal City Tip-off at Palazzo dello Sport in Rome, Italy.

After the Fighting Irish kick off a marquee slate of games to open the 2026-27 season on Sunday, on Monday, November 2, No. 12 North Carolina faces No. 21 Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m. ET in the fourth annual Oui Play in Paris, France, on ESPN2. With the Tar Heels visiting Paris this season, the ACC is the only conference to be represented in every Oui Play since 2023.

The Top-25 matchups continue Sunday, November 8, at the Ally Tipoff inside Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. No. 25 NC State will face No. 14 Kentucky at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2, followed by UNC taking on top-ranked South Carolina at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

ACC teams are scheduled to play 65 games against teams from the Power 4 and BIG EAST, with the potential for additional games through MTEs. A total of 31 games are slated against SEC teams, including the annual SEC/ACC Challenge set for early December. The 65 games are tied for the most among all leagues.

Weekly Schedule (All Times ET)

Sunday, November 1

#13 Notre Dame vs. Villanova | Noon | FS1 (Eternal City Tip-off – Rome, Italy)

#12 North Carolina vs. #21 Oklahoma | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN2 (Oui Play – Paris, France)

USC Upstate at Wake Forest | 5 p.m. | ACCNX
Wofford at #25 NC State | 5 p.m. | ACCNX
Bellarmine at #7 Louisville | 5 p.m. | ACCNX
UMES at Virginia | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
NC Central at Virginia Tech | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
Merrimack at Florida State | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
Holy Cross at Boston College | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
FAU at Miami | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
Washington State at California | 9 p.m. | ACCNX

Tuesday, November 3
Le Moyne at SMU | 3 p.m. | ACCNX
Sacred Heart at Syracuse | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
Green Bay at #4 Duke | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
Saint Peter’s at Pitt | 7 p.m. | ACCNX

Wednesday, November 4
Delaware at Virginia Tech | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
Campbell at #25 NC State | 6 p.m. | ACCN
Stetson at #7 Louisville | 8 p.m. | ACCN
Saint Mary’s at Stanford | 10 p.m. | ACCNX

Thursday, November 5
North Florida at Florida State | 11 a.m. | ACCNX
Hampton at SMU | Noon | ACCNX
Presbyterian at Wake Forest | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
ETSU at Clemson | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
Virginia at Davidson | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Samford at Georgia Tech | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
Jacksonville at Miami | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
Boston College at Harvard | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Long Beach State at California | 9 p.m. | ACCNX

Friday, November 6
Stonehill at #13 Notre Dame | 7 p.m. | ACCNX

Saturday, November 7
LIU at Pitt | 2 p.m. | ACCNX

Sunday, November 8
Mercer at Wake Forest | 12:30 p.m. | ACCNX
Florida A&M at Florida State | 2 p.m. | ACCNX

#4 Duke vs. North Texas | 2 p.m. | ESPNU (The Foundry Classic – Dallas, Texas)

#24 West Virginia at Georgia Tech | 2 p.m. | ACCNX

#25 NC State vs. #14 Kentucky | 3 p.m. | ESPN2 (Ally TipOff – Charlotte, N.C.)

Louisville at Southern Indiana | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
UC Davis at Stanford | 5 p.m. | ACCNX

#12 North Carolina vs. #1 South Carolina | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN (Ally TipOff – Charlotte, N.C.)

James Madison at Virginia Tech | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
Cornell at Syracuse | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
East Texas A&M at SMU | 7 p.m. | ACCNX

ACC Teams in the Top 25

Five ACC teams open the season ranked in both the AP and USA TODAY Coaches Polls: Duke (4/4), Louisville (7/7), North Carolina (12/11), Notre Dame (13/13) and NC State (25/25). Virginia and Clemson are receiving votes in both polls, while Syracuse and Virginia Tech are receiving votes in the AP Poll.
Per STATS Perform, the ACC has four teams ranked in the top 13 of the AP Preseason Poll, tied for the conference’s second-highest total in an AP Preseason Poll since 2000-01 (2014-15, 2013-14), behind only 2022-23 (five).

Preseason Outlook

Duke was picked first in the annual ACC Predicted Order of Finish, receiving 49 of 76 first-place votes. Louisville finished second with 22 first-place votes, while North Carolina (one first-place vote) and Notre Dame (four) landed third and fourth, respectively.
Eight All-ACC First Team selections from a season ago, as selected by the Blue Ribbon Panel and coaches, were named to the 10-member Preseason All-ACC Team.
Among each Division I conference’s top 15 scorers from 2025-26 (minimum 15 games played for rankings), no conference has a higher percentage returning to the same team than the ACC (73.3%, 11 of 15). Of the four who did not return, two transferred within the ACC. (STATS Perform)
ACC teams are scheduled to play 65 games against teams from the Power 4 and BIG EAST, with the potential for additional games through MTEs. A total of 31 games are slated against SEC teams, including the annual SEC/ACC Challenge. The 65 games are tied with the SEC for the most among all leagues.
ACC teams are scheduled to play 16 nonconference games against teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Preseason Poll, four more than any other conference. When considering the entire top 25, the ACC’s 30 scheduled nonconference games rank second behind the SEC (32).
ACC teams are scheduled to play 56 nonconference games against teams that were in last year’s NCAA Tournament field, the second most of any Division I conference behind the SEC (62).

Preseason Honors

Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo was voted ACC Preseason Player of the Year and named an AP Preseason All-American.
Preseason Naismith Watch Lists:
Naismith Trophy Watch List: Imari Berry (Louisville), Zoe Brooks (NC State), Toby Fournier (Duke), Kate Harpring (North Carolina), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Uche Izoje (Syracuse), Kymora Johnson (Virginia), Khamil Pierre (NC State), Tajianna Roberts (Louisville), Lulu Twidale (California), Talayah Walker (Georgia Tech)
Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List (Top PG): Zamareya Jones (Louisville), Gal Raviv (Miami), Zoe Brooks (NC State), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame) and Kymora Johnson (Virginia)
Ann Meyers Award Watch List (Top SG): Lulu Twidale (California), Riley Nelson (Duke), Tajianna Roberts (Louisville) and Taryn Barbot (Pitt)
Cheryl Miller Award Watch List (Top SF): Jadyn Donovan (Duke), Mackenly Randolph (Louisville) and Achol Akot (North Carolina)
Katrina McClain Award Watch List (Top PF): Grace Oliver (Boston College), Toby Fournier (Duke), Carys Baker (Louisville) and Khamil Pierre (NC State)
Lisa Leslie Award Watch List (Top C): Arianna Roberson (Duke), Amiya Joyner (Louisville), Ciera Toomey (North Carolina) and Uche Izoje (Syracuse)

ACC and the NCAA Tournament

The ACC had a conference-record nine teams in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, breaking its previous record of eight teams, which had been set nine times since 2014.
Clemson, Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech earned bids.
Since 2018, the ACC has earned 65 bids to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, the most of any conference.
The ACC sent five teams to the Sweet 16 in 2026, the second-most of any conference and tied for the league record set in 2015.
At least one ACC team has advanced to the Elite Eight in each of the past 24 NCAA Tournaments, with Duke and Notre Dame earning berths last season. It is the longest active streak of any conference; the next-longest is 17.
Last season marked the third time in the past five years that the ACC had multiple teams reach the Elite Eight (2023, 2022), tied for the second most of any Division I conference in that span behind the SEC (four).
After entering the NCAA Tournament with four wins against teams ranked in the AP Top 25, ACC teams earned six wins over ranked opponents during the tournament.
ACC member institutions have won three NCAA championships and made 24 trips to the Final Four. Nine different institutions have represented the ACC in the Women’s Final Four, while 10 current ACC members have earned a spot in the national semifinals.

ACC & the WNBA

Four former ACC standouts were selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft on April 13. Duke’s Taina Mair was selected in the first round by Seattle, while Notre Dame’s Cassandre Prosper (Washington), Duke’s Ashlon Jackson (Golden State) and North Carolina’s Indya Nivar (Atlanta) were selected in the second round.
A total of 38 players from current ACC teams were on WNBA Opening Day rosters, while 23 alums earned a spot in the WNBA Playoffs.
Six standouts from ACC schools were named to the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game, the most among all conferences.

On The Sidelines

Three new head coaches will be on ACC sidelines this year: Kate Popovec-Goss (Boston College), Robin Harmony (Pitt) and Aaron Roussell (Virginia).
Current ACC schools have earned 12 WBCA Coach of the Year awards since 1989. Six of the 10 WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year awards have gone to current ACC schools.
NC State head coach Wes Moore ranks second among active Division I coaches with 880 career wins. The next closest ACC coaches are Louisville’s Jeff Walz (515) and Miami’s Tricia Cullop (508).
Duke head coach Kara Lawson led the USA Basketball Women’s National Team to a gold medal at the FIBA Women’s World Cup in September. Lawson and former ACC standouts Sonia Citron (Notre Dame), Chelsea Gray (Duke) and Jackie Young (Notre Dame) finished a perfect 7-0 in the competition.

ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament

The 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament moved to Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia, marking the first time the tournament was played at a neutral site outside of the Carolinas.
Duke won the 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament for its second straight ACC title. The Blue Devils are the first team to repeat as ACC champions since NC State won three straight championships from 2020-22.
After defeating Louisville in the first overtime championship game since 2009, Duke claimed its 10th all-time title, tying Maryland for the most in ACC history.
Duke senior guard Taina Mair was named Tournament MVP.
Duke became the first team to win both the outright regular-season and tournament titles since NC State swept both titles in 2022.
The 50th edition of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament returns to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the first time since 1999. It will be the first time the event will be played inside an NBA arena, as it heads to Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets.
The ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament is the longest-running Division I women’s conference basketball tournament in the country.

SEC/ACC Challenge Returns for Fourth Season

The women’s side of the SEC/ACC Challenge will begin on Wednesday, December 2, and conclude on Thursday, December 3. Games will air across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and ACC Network and stream on the ESPN App.

ACC Network

ACC Network will highlight more than 70 women’s basketball games during the 2026-27 season, beginning on Nov. 4. The ACC Network action tips off with Campbell at No. 25 NC State at 6 p.m., followed by Stetson at No. 7 Louisville at 8 p.m. ACC Network Extra will stream more than 180 additional games throughout the season. ACCN will also offer extensive studio coverage of ACC women’s basketball through its daily flagship studio show, ACC PM; the ACC Network Basketball Podcast; and its signature basketball show, Nothing But Net. Each will offer insight and analysis on the latest news, storylines and highlights from around the league.