BYU Triumphs as March Madness Champions, Breaking NCAA Order
They had the resumes to be in the bracket, but these squads fell just short of making the 2026 Women's NCAA Tournament.
The madness of March officially started with the women's Selection Sunday show. Many women's college basketball teams across the country were glued to their televisions, waiting to learn their fate for the 2026 NCAA Tournament . In total, 68 programs were selected to go dancing for a chance at a national championship.
NCAA Tournament action officially starts with the First Four on Wednesday, March 18, and Thursday, March 19, and continues with the first and second rounds on March 20-23. Unfortunately, for some teams, the dream ended Sunday when they weren't selected for the NCAA Tournament. Here are five team who were snubbed from March Madness: 1.
BYU Cougars (22-11) The Cougars were a bubble team before March Madness. There was some hope the team would go dancing, but it was still a long shot. Unfortunately, a five-game win streak at the end of the season, which culminated in a Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals appearance, wasn't enough to send BYU deeper into the postseason.
2. Mississippi State Bulldogs (18-13) Mississippi State did itself no favors leading up to Selection Sunday. The Bulldogs lost seven of their last nine matchups to end the season, including five straight games.