CARMEL, Ind. – The 2026 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Women's Basketball Championship is set to be held Saturday, Feb. 21 through Saturday, Feb. 28.
2026 HCAC Women’s Basketball Championship Page
Transylvania claimed its seventh straight regular-season title this year, a streak that dates back to the 2018-19 season (regular-season championship was not awarded in 2020-21). The Pioneers finished the season with a 16-2 (21-4 overall) conference record and will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Championship Tournament.
Claiming the No. 2 seed was Franklin, which heads into the postseason with a 14-4 (19-6 overall) HCAC record. The Pios and Grizzlies will be two of the four quarterfinal hosts in the eight-team tournament on Saturday, Feb. 21. Joining them are Anderson (12-6 HCAC, 16-9 overall) and Berea (10-8 HCAC, 13-12 overall).
The first round matchups feature Transylvania hosting No. 8 seed Hanover (7-11 HCAC, 13-12 overall) and Franklin hosting No. 7 seed Bluffton (7-11 HCAC, 11-14 overall). Meanwhile, Anderson will entertain No. 6 seed Rose-Hulman (8-10 HCAC, 9-16 overall) and Berea welcomes No. 5 seed Mount St. Joseph (10-8 HCAC, 13-12 overall).
There were two ties in the final standings requiring tiebreakers to determine seeding. First, Bluffton won the tiebreaker over Hanover at 7-11 by virtue of its sweep of the two regular-season meetings between the two squads. Berea was awarded the No. 4 seed for the same reason in its tie with Mount St. Joseph at 10-8.
The winners of Saturday’s quarterfinal round will advance to the semifinals. The semifinal and final rounds of the women’s championship will be played on the campus of the highest remaining seed after the quarterfinals.
The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, Feb. 27 with the championship game taking place on Saturday, Feb. 28.
Admission to all HCAC Championships is $10. Children aged 11 and under and students/faculty and staff with an HCAC institution ID will be admitted for free.
2026 HCAC Women’s Basketball Championship Schedule
Quarterfinals - Saturday, Feb. 21
No. 8 Hanover at No. 1 Transylvania, 1 p.m.
No. 7 Bluffton at No. 2 Franklin, 2 p.m.
No. 6 Rose-Hulman at No. 3 Anderson, 1 p.m.
No. 5 MSJ at No. 4 Berea, 2 p.m.
Semifinals - Friday, Feb. 27
(Hosted by highest remaining seed)
No. 1/8 winner vs. No. 4/5 winner, TBD
No. 2/7 winner vs. No. 3/6 winner, TBD
Final - Saturday, Feb. 28
(Hosted by highest remaining seed)
Semifinal winners, 3 p.m.
For more information on HCAC Basketball, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the HCAC's home on the internet at www.heartlandconf.org. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference news by following @HCACDIII on Twitter and by liking the "HCAC DIII" Facebook page.