NCAA Women's Basketball Enters Crucial January Conference Slate
By TopHolding Editorial · Monday, August 3, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Women's college basketball enters a dense January schedule with key conference games across the CAA and C-USA as the road to the tournament intensifies.
The Women's College Basketball season has officially entered the new year with a packed schedule of conference matchups and regional rivalries. The first week of January saw a high volume of games across several conferences, including the CAA, C-USA, and the ASUN, as teams look to establish their standing before the mid-season rankings.
Notable matchups included Drexel taking on Elon and Monmouth facing UNCW in a series of tightly contested games. The schedule also featured Jacksonville State battling Western Kentucky, and Middle Tennessee facing Sam Houston, reflecting the deep geographic reach of modern women's college hoops. Many of these programs are seeing increased viewership following a record-breaking year for the sport's popularity.
The busy schedule serves as a backdrop to significant off-court changes, including the aforementioned unionization efforts and new tournament rules for the top 16 seeds. As the season progresses, the focus remains on the competitive balance between established powerhouses like South Carolina and rising programs in the mid-major conferences.
Looking ahead, the second week of January promises even more intense competition, with Stony Brook, Towson, and Florida Gulf Coast all scheduled for key conference tilts. With the tournament bracket increasingly on the minds of coaches and players, these early January results will carry significant weight for postseason seeding.