The NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament (officially called as "Championship" instead of "Tournament") is an annual tournament to help determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II women's college basketball national champion.
Basketball was originally one of the 12 women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981–82 school year, as the NCAA and Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) sought for sole governance of women's collegiate athletics. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championships; however, after a year of dual women's championships at the national level, the AIAW disbanded.
The 2020 Elite Eight was scheduled to be played at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, AL before the NCAA called off the tournament because of the COVID-19 outbreak during that tim.
The field was reduced to 48 schools in 2021 due COVID but it returned to the full normal 64 teams the following year in 2022.
Grand Valley State is now the defending national champions, winning their third national title in 2026.
Qualification A total of 64 bids are normally available for each tournament: 23 automatic bids (awarded to the champion of each Division II all-sports conference) and 41 at-large bids. Due to COVID-19 issues, the 2020 tournament was canceled, and the 2021 tournament was reduced to 48 teams when nine all-sports conferences chose not to compete in women's basketball in 2020–21.
The bids are allocated evenly among the eight NCAA-designated regions (Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast, and West), each of which contains either two or three of the 23 Division II conferences that sponsor women's basketball. Each region normally consists of two or three automatic qualifiers (the teams who won their respective conference tournaments) and five or six at-large bids (awarded regardless of conference affiliation).
Conference tournaments Region ConferenceTournamentDebutMost titlesCurrent champion (2026) Atlantic CIAA Tournament 1975 Shaw (11) Winston-Salem State (1st)Mountain East Tournament 2014 Glenville State (5) Charleston (WV) (3rd)PSAC Tournament 1980 California (PA) (7)Indiana (PA) (7) Indiana (PA) (7th) Central Great American Tournament 2012 Southwestern Oklahoma State (4) Northwestern Oklahoma State (1st) MIAA Tournament 1983 Washburn (10) Washburn (10th)NSIC Tournament 2000 Minnesota–Duluth (8) Concordia St. Paul (6th) East CACC Tournament 2002 Holy Family (8) Felician (1st) East Coast Tournament 1991 Saint Rose (6)Daemen (6) Daemen (6th) Northeast-10 Tournament 1982 Bentley (24) Southern Connecticut (3rd) Midwest GLIAC Tournament 1991 Northern Michigan (8) Michigan Tech (8) Grand Valley State (6th) GLVC Tournament 1998 Drury (10) Maryville (2nd) G-MAC Tournament 2013 Ashland (4) Northwood (1st) South Gulf South Tournament 1983 Delta State (16) Union (TN) (8th) SIAC Tournament 1979 Fort Valley State (11) Miles (3rd) Sunshine State Tournament 1982 Florida Southern (12) Nova Southeastern (4th) South Central Lone Star Tournament 1983 West Texas A&M (16) Texas Woman's (4th) RMAC Tournament 1985 Colorado Mesa (6)CSU Pueblo (6)Nebraska–Kearney (6) Colorado Mesa (6th) Southeast Carolinas Tournament 1996 Belmont Abbey (7) Lees–McRae (1st)Peach Belt Tournament 1992 Columbus State (5)Lander (5)Georgia College (5)North Georgia (5) Augusta (3rd)SAC Tournament 1991 Wingate Bulldogs (10) Coker (1st) West CCAA Tournament 1986 Cal Poly Pomona (11) Cal State Los Angeles (1st)GNAC Tournament 2011 Alaska Anchorage (7) Montana State Billings (2nd)Pacific West Tournament 2013 Azusa Pacific and Hawaii Pacific (4) Vanguard (1st)
Results NCAA Division II Women's Basketball ChampionshipYearSite(Host Team)ChampionshipThird Place Match / SemifinalistsChampionScoreRunner-upThird placeScoreFourth place 1982DetailsSpringfield, MA (Springfield Civic Center) Cal Poly Pomona 93–74 Tuskegee Mount St. Mary's 73–62 Oakland 1983Details Virginia Union 73–60 Cal Poly Pomona Southern Connecticut StateCentral Missouri State 1984Details Central Missouri State 80–73 Virginia Union DaytonValdosta State 1985Details Cal Poly Pomona (2) 80–69 Central Missouri State HamptonMercer 1986Details Cal Poly Pomona (3) 70–63 North Dakota State Delta StatePhiladelphia Textile 1987Details New Haven 77–75 Cal Poly Pomona Northern KentuckyPitt Johnstown 1988Details Fargo, ND(Bison Sports Arena) Hampton 65–48 West Texas State Delta StateNorth Dakota State 1989Details Cleveland, MS(Walter Sillers Coliseum) Delta State 88–58 Cal Poly Pomona Bentley 83–81 Central Missouri State 1990Details Pomona, CA(Kellogg Gymnasium) Delta State (2) 77–43 Bentley Cal Poly Pomona 87–68 Oakland 1991Details Cape Girardeau, MO(Show Me Center) North Dakota State 81–74 Southeast Missouri State Bentley 60–58 Norfolk State 1992Details Fargo, ND(Bison Sports Arena) Delta State (3) 65–63 North Dakota State Portland State 72–69 Bentley 1993Details Waltham, MA(Dana Athletic Center) North Dakota State (2) 95–63 Delta State Michigan Tech 74–60 Bentley 1994Details Fargo, ND(Bison Sports Arena) North Dakota State (3) 89–56 Cal State San Bernardino North Alabama 79–75 Bellarmine 1995Details North Dakota State (4) 98–85 Portland State Missouri Western State 76–66 Stonehill 1996Details North Dakota State (5) 104–78 Shippensburg Abilene Christian 83–65 Delta State 1997Details Grand Forks, ND(Hyslop Sports Center) North Dakota 94–78 Southern Indiana UC Davis 76–61 Bentley 1998Details Pine Bluff, AR(H.O. Clemmons Arena) North Dakota (2) 92–76 Emporia State Francis MarionNorthern Michigan 1999Details North Dakota (3) 80–63 Arkansas Tech Emporia StateNorthern Kentucky 2000Details Northern Kentucky 71–62 (OT) North Dakota State Columbus StateWestern Washington 2001Details Rochester, MN(Mayo Civic Center) Cal Poly Pomona (4) 87–80 (OT) North Dakota ShippensburgColumbus State 2002Details Cal Poly Pomona (5) 74–62 Southeastern Oklahoma Glenville StateSouth Dakota State 2003Details St. Joseph, MO(St. Joseph Civic Arena) South Dakota State 65–50 Northern Kentucky BentleyCalifornia (PA) 2004Details California (PA) 75–72 Drury Henderson StateMerrimack 2005Details Hot Springs, AR(Summit Arena) Washburn 70–53 Seattle Pacific Central ArkansasMerrimack 2006Details Grand Valley State 58–52 American International Chico StateSt. Cloud State 2007Details Kearney, NE(Health and Sports Center) Southern Connecticut State 61–45 Florida Gulf Coast Clayton StateUC San Diego 2008Details Northern Kentucky (2) 63–58 South Dakota Alaska AnchorageDelta State 2009Details San Antonio, TX(Bill Greehey Arena) Minnesota State 103–94 Franklin Pierce Alaska AnchorageDelta State 2010Details St. Joseph, MO(St. Joseph Civic Arena) Emporia State 65–53 Fort Lewis Franklin PierceGannon 2011Details Clayton State 69–50 Michigan Tech ShawNorthwest Missouri State 2012Details San Antonio, TX(Bill Greehey Arena) Shaw 88–82 (OT) Ashland BentleyRollins 2013Details Ashland 71–56 Dowling Augustana (SD)Western Washington 2014Details Erie, PA(Erie Insurance Arena) Bentley 73–65 West Texas A&M Cal Poly PomonaNova Southeastern 2015Details Sioux Falls, SD(Sanford Pentagon) California (PA) (2) 86–69 California Baptist Emporia StateLimestone 2016Details Indianapolis, IN(Bankers Life Fieldhouse) Lubbock Christian 78–73 Alaska Anchorage BentleyGrand Valley State 2017Details Columbus, OH(Alumni Hall) Ashland (2) 93–77 Virginia Union California BaptistHarding 2018Details Sioux Falls, SD(Sanford Pentagon) Central Missouri (2) 66–52 Ashland Indiana (PA)Union (TN) 2019Details Columbus, OH(Alumni Hall) Lubbock Christian (2) 95–85 (2OT) Southwestern Oklahoma DruryIndiana (PA) 2020Details Birmingham, AL(Birmingham CrossPlex) Canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic 2021Details Columbus, OH(Alumni Hall)Lubbock Christian (3) 69–59 Drury Central MissouriLander 2022Details Birmingham, AL(Birmingham CrossPlex) Glenville State 85–72 Western Washington Grand Valley StateNorth Georgia 2023Details Dallas, TX(American Airlines Center) Ashland (3) 78–67 Minnesota–Duluth CatawbaGlenville State 2024Details St. Joseph, MO(St. Joseph Civic Arena) Minnesota State (2) 89–73 Texas Woman's Cal State San MarcosFerris State 2025Details Pittsburgh, PA(UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse) Grand Valley State (2) 70–58 Cal State Dominguez Hills Pittsburg StateUnion (TN) 2026Details Grand Valley State (3) 72–49 Indiana (PA) Alabama-HuntsvilleColorado Mesa 2027 2028
Champions
Active programs Team Titles Years 5 1982, 1985, 1986, 2001, 2002 3 2006, 2025, 2026 3 2013, 2017, 2023 3 2016, 2019, 2021 3 1989, 1990, 1992 2 2009, 2024 2 1984, 2018 2 2004, 2015 1 2022 1 2014 1 2012 1 2011 1 2010 1 2007 1 2005 1 1983
Former programs Team Titles Years 5 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 3 1997, 1998, 1999 2 2000, 2008 1 2003 1 1988 1 1987
See also NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament NAIA women's basketball championship
Notes
References
External links Attendance history (Archived)