Cobleskill, NY – The SUNY Cobleskill women's basketball team has earned the fifth seed in the 2025-26 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women's Basketball Tournament and will face fourth-seeded Thomas College on the road in the quarterfinal round on Thursday, February 19.
Cobleskill enters the postseason for the sixth consecutive season and returns as the reigning NAC Champions. The Fighting Tigers closed the regular season with a 14-10 overall record and an 11-7 mark in conference play, securing another spot in a competitive NAC tournament field.
This season also marks the fifth straight year Cobleskill has finished above .500, the longest stretch in program history at the NCAA Division III level. The Tigers have now advanced to two straight NAC Championship Game appearances and head into postseason play playing some of their best basketball of the year, winning seven of their final eight contests.
Fourth seeded Thomas College finished just ahead of Cobleskill in the standings, and the Terriers earned victories in both regular season meetings between the two teams.
Head Coach
Megan Bowman praised her team's growth and composure throughout the season, noting the belief and confidence the Tigers have built as they enter tournament play.
"I'm really proud of the growth this group has shown over the course of the season," said Bowman. "We've faced adversity, but instead of letting it define us, we've responded with resilience and continued to get better each week. Down the stretch, we've put together some significant wins that reflect how much we've matured as a team. Despite our loss over the weekend, there's a strong belief in our locker room right now - a belief that we're capable of winning and competing at a high level."
Bowman also credited the Tigers' success this season to the team's depth and the ability to rely on multiple players to make an impact on both ends of the floor.
"What makes this team successful is our depth - it's about one through twelve being fully bought in," Bowman said. "We've built our identity around the mindset of 'nameless, faceless opponents - control what we do and do your job,' and our group has embraced that message. We're 18th in the country in bench points and lead our conference in that category, and that speaks to the trust and production throughout our roster. In the postseason, making the game about depth will be most important - in how we defend, the tempo we're able to play with, and the number of players who can score and make plays."
As Cobleskill enters postseason play, Bowman believes the Tigers' defensive identity will be a major key as they look to make another championship run.
"What I've learned throughout my playoff experience is that the best defensive teams are the ones that thrive in the postseason," Bowman said. "Defense travels, and it can remain constant when other things fluctuate. Our defense has to fuel our offense - it needs to be the catalyst and the tone-setter. We have to settle in offensively, trust what we do well, and finish possessions at a championship level. If we defend with intensity and execute with poise on the offensive end, we'll put ourselves in a position to succeed no matter who we play."
The winner of Thursday's quarterfinal matchup will advance to face top-seeded Maine Maritime Academy on Sunday, February 22, in Castine, Maine.
The winner of the 2026 NAC Championship will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament, set to begin on Friday, March 6. The complete NCAA Tournament bracket will be unveiled during a live selection show on NCAA.com on Monday, March 2.
For more tournament information, please visit the
NAC Championship Page.
2026 NAC Women's Basketball Tournament Seeds
- Maine Maritime Academy (16-2 NAC)
- Husson University (15-3 NAC)
- UMaine-Farmington (15-3 NAC)
- Thomas College (12-6 NAC)
- SUNY Cobleskill (11-7 NAC)
- VTSU-Lyndon (8-10 NAC)
2026 NAC Women's Basketball Tournament Schedule
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Quarterfinals
Game 1: #6 VTSU-Lyndon at #3 UMaine-Farmington
Game 2: #5 SUNY Cobleskill at #4 Thomas College
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Semifinals
Game 3: G1 winner at #2 Husson University
Game 4: G2 winner at #1 Maine Maritime Academy
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Championship (hosted by highest remaining seed)
G3 Winner vs. G4 Winner (at higher seed)
