KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island will be featured in a new strategic non-conference scheduling partnership featuring women's basketball teams in the Atlantic 10, the American Conference, Ivy League, and Missouri Valley Conference, the leagues announced Thursday morning.

Designed to elevate early-season competition amongst some of the top NCAA Division I women's basketball conferences, the agreement is a two-year partnership for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 seasons. With events held concurrently in two cities, the structure will feature tournament-style events on opening weekend of the season each year, bringing together top programs from the four highly competitive conferences. Each participating team will compete in two games over the opening weekend, scheduled for November 6 and November 8, 2026.

Each league will designate its top two teams to participate annually, creating a high-level showcase that provides non-conference resume-building opportunities for each conference and enhances national visibility for women's basketball. Collectively, the partnership brings together four conferences that have each earned multiple bids into the NCAA Tournament at least once in the last five years. Additionally, the four leagues have each finished in the top 10 of the conference NET rankings at least three times in the last five years.

"This partnership represents an outstanding opportunity for Atlantic 10 women's basketball and further elevates the national profile of our programs," said A-10 Commissioner Dan Leibovitz. "By collaborating with the American Conference, Ivy League, and Missouri Valley Conference, our teams will compete against nationally respected opponents and continue building on the success that has positioned the A-10 as a multi-bid NCAA Tournament conference. Bringing an event of this caliber to life requires tremendous collaboration and planning, and I commend Associate Commissioner Candy Cage and her counterparts across the participating conferences for their leadership in making this initiative a reality."

The 2026 field alone features a concentration of Top-75 programs by NET ranking, creating an early-season environment designed to mirror the intensity and quality of postseason play and resume-building opportunities.

New URI head coach Colleen Mullen will bring her squad to the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tenn. The Rams - who won the A-10 regular season and tournament titles last season - are coming off their first NCAA Championship appearance in 30 years. Rhody will play Columbia from the Ivy League on Nov. 6. Columbia is coming off a 25-win season in which it won the WBIT, beating St. John's, North Dakota State, California, Wisconsin and BYU in its historic run.

URI's second game will be against South Florida from the American on Nov. 8. The Bulls won 20 games last season before getting upset in the opening round of the conference tournament. South Florida will play the MVC's Belmont on the first day.

The event gives Rhode Island gives Rhode Island two top 70 NET opponents to open the season. Columbia ended the 2025-26 season ranked 45th in the NET, while South Florida was 68th. Rhode Island ended the season 49th in the NET.

Richmond will host the second site of the event at the Robins Center. The four participating teams will be host Richmond taking on Princeton (Ivy League) and Rice (American) playing Murray State (MVC). The complete schedule for both venues is below.

Building a Stronger Non-Conference Landscape
This initiative is rooted in a shared goal: to create more competitive and compelling non-conference opportunities for the top programs in each respective conference. By matching elite teams from each conference in a structured, high-profile setting, the partnership aims to:

• Enhance strength of schedule resumes for the four conferences and participating programs
• Provide fans with marquee early-season matchups
• Increase early-season national exposure and media interest
• Support the continued growth of women's college basketball

Additional details, including broadcast information and ticketing, will be announced at a later date.

2026 Matchups
Site 1: Richmond, Virginia – Robins Center

Day 1 (Friday, November 6)

• Richmond (A-10) vs. Princeton (Ivy League)
• Rice (American) vs. Murray State (MVC)

Day 2 (Sunday, November 8)

• Richmond (A-10) vs. Rice (American)
• Princeton (Ivy League) vs. Murray State (MVC)

Site 2: Belmont, Tennessee – Curb Event Center
Day 1 (Friday, November 6)

• Rhode Island (A-10) vs. Columbia (Ivy League)
• South Florida (American) vs. Belmont (MVC)

Day 2 (Sunday, November 8)

• Rhode Island (A-10) vs. South Florida (American)
• Columbia (Ivy League) vs. Belmont (MVC)