The Big Ten is ranked No. 1 among women’s college basketball’s Power 4 conferences in preseason power rankings released Wednesday, November 4, 2026 — edging past the SEC for the first time.
The Big Ten projects 13 NCAA tournament bids, the most of any conference. It also leads with six teams projected in the top 16 of the bracket and a 72.2% projected NCAA tournament qualification rate — the nation’s highest.
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The SEC ranks second with 10 projected bids, a 5.5 average seed, and five teams in the top 16. South Carolina Gamecocks are projected to earn a No. 1 seed and reach the NCAA tournament’s final weekend — their sixth consecutive season doing so in that role.
The ACC ranks third with 10 projected bids, a 6.7 average seed, and four top-16 teams. The Big 12 ranks fourth with eight projected bids, zero top-16 teams, and an 8.3 average seed.
The rankings define the Power 4 as the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and Big 12. The reconstituted Pac-12 and the Big East are not included in that group. The expanded 76-team NCAA tournament field is projected to benefit these four conferences more than mid-majors in bid allocation.
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