UConn and South Carolina are the two top teams in the country at the beginning of the season. They are expected to dominate both the Big East, and the SEC. However, several other top teams could be in the conference race right through the 2021-22 women’s college basketball regular season.
The Big Ten could be the venue for the nation's greatest conference battle. Maryland is the favourite, but three other conference teams, Iowa, Michigan, and Indiana, landed in the top ten of our preseason top 25, rankings. The Terps have three of their final four regular season games against the Hoosiers Hawkeyes Wolverines. So don't be surprised if the Big Ten champion is not decided until February's last week.
While Louisville and NC State only meet once in the regular season, it could happen again in mid-January. However, the winner of ACC could decide a No. 1, or 2. 2 seed in NCAA tournament.
One of the most under-the radar rivalries in South Dakota-South Dakota State's sport is found in the Summit League. They often have some of the most memorable games in the season. Both are expected to return at the summit league's top.
We're keeping an eye on the West Coast Conference to see if Gonzaga can be beaten by BYU.
Charlie Creme, Mechelle Voepel and Sean Hurd from ESPN project the regular-season champion in all 32 conferences.
Creme Hurd Voepel Consensus
NC State
NC State
NC State
NC State America East
Stony Brook
Stony Brook
Stony Brook
Stony Brook American
South Florida
South Florida
South Florida
South Florida Atlantic 10
Dayton
Dayton
Dayton
Dayton Atlantic Sun
FGCU
FGCU
FGCU
FGCU Big 12
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor Big East
UConn
UConn
UConn
UConn Big Sky
Idaho St
Idaho St
Idaho St
Idaho St Big South
High Point
Longwood
High Point
High Point Big Ten
Maryland
Maryland
Maryland
Maryland Big West
UC Irvine
UC Davis
UC Davis
UC Davis Colonial
Delaware
Delaware
Drexel
Delaware Conference USA
Charlotte
Old Dominion
Charlotte
Charlotte Horizon
IUPUI
IUPUI
IUPUI
IUPUI Ivy
Penn
Princeton
Princeton
Princeton MAAC
Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac MAC
Bowling Green
Ohio
Bowling Green
Bowling Green MEAC
Morgan St
Morgan St
Howard
Morgan St Missouri Valley
Missouri St
Missouri St
Missouri St
Missouri St Mountain West
Fresno St
Fresno St
Fresno St
Fresno St Northeast
Mount St Mary's
Mount St Mary's
Mount St Mary's
Mount St Mary's Ohio Valley
Belmont
Belmont
Belmont
Belmont Pac-12
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford Patriot
Boston U
Lehigh
Lehigh
Lehigh SEC
South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina Southern
Mercer
Mercer
Samford
Mercer Southland
SE Louisiana
SE Louisiana
SE Louisiana
SE Louisiana SWAC
Jackson St
Jackson St
Jackson St
Jackson St Summit
South Dakota
South Dakota St
South Dakota
South Dakota Sun Belt
Troy
Troy
Troy
Troy West Coast
BYU
BYU
BYU
BYU WAC
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
California Baptist
Stephen F. Austin
Consensus picks
The consensus pick for each conference is the team listed first or alone; the teams listed in parentheses received one vote to be the favorite conference team.
* A unanimous choice by our panel to win this conference race.
ACC: NC State
America East: Stony Brook*
South Florida*
Atlantic 10: Dayton*
Atlantic Sun: Florida Gulf Coast
Big 12: Baylor*
Big East: UConn*
Big Sky: Idaho State*
Big South: High Point, Longwood
Big Ten Maryland
Big West: UC Davis (UC Irvine)
Colonial: Delaware (Drexel).
Conference USA: Charlotte (Old Dominion).
Horizon League IUPUI*
Ivy League: Princeton (Penn).
MAAC: Quinnipiac*
Mid-American: Bowling Green, Ohio
MEAC: Morgan State (Howard)
Missouri Valley: Missouri State*
Mountain West: Fresno State*
Northeast: Mount St. Mary's*
Ohio Valley: Belmont*
Stanford*, Pac-12
Patriot League (Boston U.
SEC: South Carolina
Southern: Mercer, Samford
Southland: SE Louisiana*
SWAC: State of Washington
Summit League: South Dakota (South Dakota State)
Sun Belt: Troy*
West Coast: BYU*
WAC: Stephen F. Austin (California Baptist).
