Leadership Transition in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee
The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee announced a series of leadership changes and operational updates that will shape the 2027 championship landscape.
Jeff Konya, director of athletics at San Jose State, was elected vice chair for the 2026‑27 term and will ascend to chair in 2027‑28. Konya brings 28 years of intercollegiate experience, having previously led athletics programs at Northeastern, Oakland, Cal State Bakersfield and Northeastern State, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton and a law degree from Iowa.
He will be joined by Liz Darger, senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator at Brigham Young, who will serve as chair for the 2026‑27 cycle. Darger’s extensive background in championship administration positions her to guide the committee through a period of rapid growth in women’s basketball.
The committee also reviewed and refined championship operations, tightening team requirements, media obligations and selection criteria ahead of the upcoming tournament.
For the 2027 championship, the top 16 seeds will be revealed on the Saturday preceding Selection Sunday, giving teams and fans an earlier glimpse of the bracket.
A new Wins Above Bubble metric baseline has been set at the No. 55 team in the NCAA Evaluation Tool rankings, expanding the field to 76 participants.
Perhaps the most notable change is the decision to bracket the top 16 teams solely by their true seed ranking, eliminating any consideration of conference affiliation in the placement process.
A comprehensive principles and procedures document outlining the 2027 selection, seeding and bracketing methodology will be released later this summer, providing full transparency to stakeholders.