KINGS POINT, N.Y. (March 2, 2026) – The 2026 Skyline Conference Champion USMMA women's basketball team will play the opening weekend of the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament up at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, the NCAA announced during a selection show Monday afternoon.
 
The Mariners will take on the host #12/15 Bates Bobcats in the first round on Friday, March 6, beginning at 7:15 p.m. at the NESCAC Champions' Alumni Gym.
 
Merchant Marine (23-4) earned one of 43 automatic qualifiers into the NCAA Tournament. This will be the Mariners' fifth trip to the national tourney in program history and their second-straight, as they earned an at-large bid in 2025.
 
In addition to USMMA, Bates (24-3) will also host fellow NESCAC school #5/7 Smith (27-1) which will face off against Union (22-5), the winners of the Liberty League, at 4:45 p.m. on Friday.
 
Click here to view the complete interactive bracket for the 2026 DIII Women's Basketball Tournament. A printable bracket is also available at this link.
 
Ticket information will be available in the coming days. Follow our social media pages for more details. (Links below.) More information on the Mariners' upcoming trip to the NCAA Championships in Maine this weekend will be available on www.USMMASports.com throughout the week.
 
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