The NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament fields have officially been announced and it will see an overwhelming presence from HBCUs.
Six HBCUs (seven total teams) heard their name called as part of the respective 64-team fields, including four in the women’s bracket, two of which were at-large bids. In addition, two of the teams are making their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
These are the seven HBCU teams that will compete in the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Division II Basketball Tournaments.
Women
Winston-Salem State
Seed: 3
The Winston-Salem State Rams will be in the NCAA Division II National Tournament, building on what has already been a historic season.
In their first season under head coach and alumna Tierra Terry, the Lady Rams set a new school record for wins, finishing the regular season at 23-3.
They added another historic achievement in the CIAA tournament, winning their first conference championship in school history after beating defending two-time champion Fayetteville State 60-43 in the title game.
Winston-Salem State boasts a scoring margin of 15 points per game (20th in Division II), including a winning margin of 24.7 in its three CIAA tournament games.
As the three-seed in the Atlantic region, the Lady Rams will match up with 2022 national champion Glenville State in the first round.
Glenville State enters following a 2025-2026 campaign in which it claimed the Mountain East regular-season title, posting a 16-4 conference record (22-5 overall at the end of the regular season).
Miles
Seed: 4
After completing a historic SIAC championship three-peat, the Miles Golden Bears enter the Division II tournament with the best seeding in their three-season streak.
Fielding a pair of eight-seeds in their first two NCAA tournament runs, Miles will serve as the four-seed in the South region. This marks the best seeding for an SIAC team in the DII tournament since 2022.
The Lady Golden Bears’ path to the postseason included finishing the regular season with a 22-5 record and claiming the SIAC West division title.
They then beat Lane 59-52 in the SIAC championship game to become the first team to win three straight conference titles since Fort Valley State in 2002 (eventually won a fourth straight in 2003).
Miles will open the national tournament against the Sunshine State Conference champion, Nova Southeastern, currently sporting a 27-4 overall record.
Fayetteville State
Seed: 5
Despite having their CIAA championship streak ended by Winston-Salem State, the Fayetteville State Broncos have done enough to warrant an at-large bid into the DII tournament.
The Lady Broncos won a share of the CIAA South division title, recording their third straight 20-win season, marking their longest such streak in 23 years.
They advanced to the CIAA championship game after hard-fought wins over Virginia Union and Bowie State, but were defeated in the title game by Winston-Salem State.
Fayetteville State will begin its national tournament journey against Seton Hill of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Seton Hill holds a 21-8 overall record.
Edward Waters
Seed: 8
Making their first NCAA tournament appearance in their second year of eligibility as a Division II program is the Edward Waters Tigers.
In their second season under head coach Eric Jackson, the Lady Tigers posted a 23-5 overall record, their first 20-win season since 2017-2018.
This included a 21-3 conference record that allowed EWU to clinch its first SIAC East division title since officially joining the conference in 2022.
Edward Waters boasts one of the top defensive units in the country, ranking second in Division II scoring defense, allowing just 50.4 points per game.
They will have to contend with the South region number-one seed, the University of Alabama at Huntsville, in the opening round.
The Gulf South Conference regular season champions set a school record with 21 conference wins.
Men
Fayetteville State
Seed: 5
The CIAA champion Fayetteville State Broncos join the women in the Division II tournament as the fifth-seed in the Atlantic region.
Transitioning to Fayetteville State from Bluefield State, head coach Devin Hoehn’s first season was a massive success, claiming the CIAA South division title after ending the regular season on a 14-game win streak.
They endured a gauntlet in the CIAA tournament, taking down Bowie State, Johnson C. Smith, and Bluefield State to claim the conference championship.
Preparing for their first national tournament appearance since 2022, the Broncos are locked in to a matchup with PSAC champion California (PA) in the opening round.
Virginia Union
Seed: 7
Virginia Union finds its way into the Division II tournament as an at-large bid, receiving the seven-seed in the Atlantic region.
Entering the CIAA tournament, the Panthers were ranked fifth in the Atlantic region rankings, holding a 24-4 overall record.
Their run in the conference tournament proved premature, losing in an instant classic against Johnson C. Smith in their opener.
Looking to avenge this loss, Virginia Union will face West Liberty in the first round of the National tournament.
The Mountain East Conference champions are making their 17th straight appearance in the Division II tournament, extending their record for consecutive berths.
Morehouse
Seed: 8
Rounding out the field is the SIAC champion, Morehouse Maroon Tigers, who put an end to a 23-year drought without a conference title.
Morehouse is currently riding an eight-game win streak, bringing their overall record to 22-9, the most wins its had in a season since 2017-2018.
This includes a 66-56 win over Tuskegee in the SIAC championship game to claim their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2018.
Morehouse will have a tough test in its return to the big stage, drawing the defending national champion Nova Southeastern in the first round.
Nova Southeastern enters the game with a 27-1 overall record, including wins in its last 21 contests.
