Tricia Binford
Photo by: Brian Morse
PLAY ON! Bobcats Land WNIT Bid
3/15/2026 8:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Montana State learns its first round opponent on Monday
BOZEMAN, Mont. (March 15, 2026) – Montana State qualified for the women's basketball post-season for back-to-back seasons for the second time in history on Sunday when the Bobcats were selected for the WNIT, event organizer Triple Crown Sports announced on Sunday.
The Bobcats enter the 28th annual Postseason WNIT as one of 48 teams selected. Montana State was an automatic qualifier as the Big Sky Conference's top seed that did not receive an NCAA Tournament invitation. The Postseason WNIT announces its full bracket, including host sites and matchups, on Monday.
"I'm very proud of this team and we're excited to continue playing," said Montana State head coach Tricia Binford. "The resume this team put together is certainly deserving of post-season basketball. We finished 69th in the NET Ranking, had a Quad One win, and won 25 basketball games. I believe our best basketball remains in front of this team, and with no seniors on this team the post-season experience we gain will be valuable."
The Cats played in the 2025 NCAA Tournament after winning the Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament titles. MSU's only previous back-to-back post-season appearances came in 2016-2017. Montana State lost at Utah in the 2016 WNIT before winning the league and playing at Washington in the 2017 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
This is Montana State's fourth WNIT bid. The Cats are winless in five previous games, including a three-team round-robin WNIT regional in 1988. Ticket information for MSU's WNIT games will be available once the bracket is announced.
AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS: Montana State (25-7, Big Sky), Abilene Christian (23-20, WAC), Alcorn State (17-13, SWAC), Florida International (20-11, CUSA), Lamar (20-10, Southland), Mercyhurst (15-16, NEC), Radford (22-12, Big South), Maryland Eastern Shore (19-14), Youngstown State (24-9, Horizon). (Teams earn automatic qualifier status by finishing as the 2-seed in their conference's tournament without receiving an NCAA tournament of WBIT bid).
AT-LARGE QUAIFIERS: Air Force (16-18, Mountain West), Arkansas State (24-9, Sun Belt), Army (24-7, Patriot), Austin Peay (19-13, ASUN), Binghamton (19-12, American East), Bradley (20-12, Missouri Valley), Cleveland State (24-9, Horizon), Drexel (21-10, CAA), Florida Gulf Coast (16-15, ASUN), George Washington (15-17, Atlantic 10), Illinois State (20-13, Missouri Valley), La Salle (18-13, Atlantic 10), Lehigh (17-14, Patriot), Loyola Chicago (14-17, Atlantic 10), Marshall (23-9, Sun Belt), Merrimack (19-12, MAAC), Middle Tennessee State (16-15, CUSA), Monmouth (20-11, CAA), Morehead State (18-14, OVC), NJIT (18-12, America East), Norfolk State (18-14, MEAC), Northern Colorado (22-10, Big Sky), Ohio (18-13, MAC), Pepperdine (19-12, WCC), Portland (18-14, WCC), Purdue Fort Wayne (20-13, Horizon), Sam Houston (18-12, CUSA), San Francisco (18-14, WCC), South Alabama (16-18, Sun Belt), South Dakota (23-9, Summit), Southern Indiana (21-10, OVC), Southern Utah (19-12, WAC), St. Bonaventure (16-15, Atlantic 10), Stetson (20-11, ASUN), UC Davis (23-10, Big West), UMBC (16-14, America East), Utah Valley (16-14, WAC), UTRGV (20-13, Southland), Wake Forest (14-17, ACC).
#GoCatsGo
The Bobcats enter the 28th annual Postseason WNIT as one of 48 teams selected. Montana State was an automatic qualifier as the Big Sky Conference's top seed that did not receive an NCAA Tournament invitation. The Postseason WNIT announces its full bracket, including host sites and matchups, on Monday.
"I'm very proud of this team and we're excited to continue playing," said Montana State head coach Tricia Binford. "The resume this team put together is certainly deserving of post-season basketball. We finished 69th in the NET Ranking, had a Quad One win, and won 25 basketball games. I believe our best basketball remains in front of this team, and with no seniors on this team the post-season experience we gain will be valuable."
The Cats played in the 2025 NCAA Tournament after winning the Big Sky Conference regular season and tournament titles. MSU's only previous back-to-back post-season appearances came in 2016-2017. Montana State lost at Utah in the 2016 WNIT before winning the league and playing at Washington in the 2017 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
This is Montana State's fourth WNIT bid. The Cats are winless in five previous games, including a three-team round-robin WNIT regional in 1988. Ticket information for MSU's WNIT games will be available once the bracket is announced.
AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS: Montana State (25-7, Big Sky), Abilene Christian (23-20, WAC), Alcorn State (17-13, SWAC), Florida International (20-11, CUSA), Lamar (20-10, Southland), Mercyhurst (15-16, NEC), Radford (22-12, Big South), Maryland Eastern Shore (19-14), Youngstown State (24-9, Horizon). (Teams earn automatic qualifier status by finishing as the 2-seed in their conference's tournament without receiving an NCAA tournament of WBIT bid).
AT-LARGE QUAIFIERS: Air Force (16-18, Mountain West), Arkansas State (24-9, Sun Belt), Army (24-7, Patriot), Austin Peay (19-13, ASUN), Binghamton (19-12, American East), Bradley (20-12, Missouri Valley), Cleveland State (24-9, Horizon), Drexel (21-10, CAA), Florida Gulf Coast (16-15, ASUN), George Washington (15-17, Atlantic 10), Illinois State (20-13, Missouri Valley), La Salle (18-13, Atlantic 10), Lehigh (17-14, Patriot), Loyola Chicago (14-17, Atlantic 10), Marshall (23-9, Sun Belt), Merrimack (19-12, MAAC), Middle Tennessee State (16-15, CUSA), Monmouth (20-11, CAA), Morehead State (18-14, OVC), NJIT (18-12, America East), Norfolk State (18-14, MEAC), Northern Colorado (22-10, Big Sky), Ohio (18-13, MAC), Pepperdine (19-12, WCC), Portland (18-14, WCC), Purdue Fort Wayne (20-13, Horizon), Sam Houston (18-12, CUSA), San Francisco (18-14, WCC), South Alabama (16-18, Sun Belt), South Dakota (23-9, Summit), Southern Indiana (21-10, OVC), Southern Utah (19-12, WAC), St. Bonaventure (16-15, Atlantic 10), Stetson (20-11, ASUN), UC Davis (23-10, Big West), UMBC (16-14, America East), Utah Valley (16-14, WAC), UTRGV (20-13, Southland), Wake Forest (14-17, ACC).
#GoCatsGo
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