Eight premier programs will compete in the annual event on Nov. 27-28, Event airs nationwide on ION

FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 5, 2026) – The full eight-team field for the fifth annual Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off was announced today, bringing premier programs from four major conferences to Southwest Florida. LSU, NC State, Villanova and Kansas State will compete in the Island Division, while TCU, Indiana, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech will make up the Shell Division.

The event schedule will feature eight predetermined matchups, with each team playing once on Friday, Nov. 27, and once on Saturday, Nov. 28, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College. Game dates and tip times will be announced in the coming weeks.

Multiple participating programs in LSU, TCU, Villanova, NC State and Kansas State have garnered mention in various ‘Way Too Early’ Top-25 rankings for the 2026-27 campaign.

The Tigers are ranked as high as No. 4 in ESPN’s initial 2026-27 Top 25, with Villanova at No. 20 and NC State at No. 22. TCU is ranked No. 15 in CBS Sports’ Top 25, while Kansas State received consideration in The Athletic’s post-transfer portal update.

Scripps Sports/ION returns as the event’s broadcast partner, with every game airing nationwide. ION is available in every U.S. television household via pay TV, connected TV, free ad-supported streaming platforms and over-the-air, reaching 128 million homes.

Event travel packages will become available on May 20 and will include tickets to all games of either the Island or Shell Division, hotel accommodations at a host hotel and parking at the venue. To register to receive updates on travel package sale dates and additional event information, please visit www.womensfortmyerstipoff.com/travel.

Individual session tickets will go on sale to the public in September.

To receive the latest email alerts regarding event news, ticket information and more, visit www.womensfortmyerstipoff.com, follow Intersport Basketball on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @IntersportHoops.

Island Division

Shell Division

Georgia Tech

Karen Blair is set to enter her second season as Georgia Tech’s head coach after guiding the Yellow Jackets to a postseason berth in her debut campaign.

The Yellow Jackets earned a bid to the 2026 WBIT, recorded 10 home wins in 2025-26 and notched victories over Stanford and then-No. 18 Notre Dame.

Georgia Tech returns All-ACC guard Talayah Walker, who averaged 17.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 2025-26 and scored 33 points in an overtime win over then-No. 18 Notre Dame.

Opponents: Indiana; TCU

Georgia Tech is 0-1 all-time against Indiana, with the lone meeting coming on Dec. 2, 2015, when the Hoosiers earned a 69-60 win in Bloomington. The Yellow Jackets and Horned Frogs will meet for the first time.

Indiana

Head coach Teri Moren is entering her 13th season at Indiana standing as the all-time winningest coach in program history with a record of 264-126.

Indiana has made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three Sweet 16 trips and one Elite 8 appearance.

The Hoosiers captured the 2023 Big Ten regular-season championship, earned the program’s first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and have posted 10 consecutive 20-win seasons under Moren.

Opponents: Georgia Tech; Mississippi State

Indiana owns a 2-1 all-time edge over Mississippi State, with the series dating back to Dec. 13, 1986. Mississippi State won the most recent meeting, 70-67, on Nov. 28, 2003. The Hoosiers are 1-0 against Georgia Tech, claiming the only previous matchup, 69-60, on Dec. 2, 2015.

Kansas State

Jeff Mittie enters his 13th season at Kansas State in 2026-27 and owns 691 career victories, including 237 wins with the Wildcats – the second-most in program history.

Kansas State has made 19 NCAA Tournament appearances and reached the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history in 2025.

The Wildcats advanced to the second round of the 2026 WBIT and have averaged 20 wins per season under Mittie.

Opponents: NC State; Villanova

Kansas State trails NC State 4-1 in the all-time series, with the Wolfpack winning the most recent meeting, 89-57, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 21, 2022. The Wildcats are 1-0 against Villanova, winning the only meeting by a 75-63 margin on Dec. 28, 2004.

LSU

Head coach Kim Mulkey enters her sixth season leading LSU with a 151-26 record, highlighted by the program’s 2023 national championship.

Mulkey has guided the Tigers to four straight Sweet 16 appearances, including three consecutive Elite Eight runs.

LSU is coming off its 31st NCAA Tournament appearance in 2026 and returns several key contributors from the 2025-26 season.

The Tigers’ returning core includes SEC Sixth Woman of the Year MiLaysia Fulwiley, first-team All-SEC member Mikaylah Williams and rising sophomores Grace Knox and ZaKiyah Johnson.

Opponents: NC State; Villanova

LSU has controlled its series with NC State, holding a 4-1 all-time advantage, including wins in the two most recent meetings in 2024 and 2025. The Tigers are also 1-0 against Villanova, winning the lone matchup, 63-56 on Nov. 15, 2003.

Mississippi State

Coach Sam Purcell is entering his fifth season at the helm of the Mississippi State women’s basketball program, recording 85 total victories in his first four years as a head coach.

He has led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament twice in four seasons and has recorded three NCAA Tournament victories, tied for the most of any Bulldog head coach throughout their first four seasons.

The Bulldogs have made 13 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and two appearances in the National Championship game (2017, 2018).

Opponents: Indiana; TCU

Mississippi State trails Indiana 2-1 all-time, but the Bulldogs won the most recent meeting, 70-67, on Nov. 28, 2003. Mississippi State leads TCU 2-1, including a 68-61 win in the 2024 WBIT second round, the most recent game between the programs.

NC State

Head coach Wes Moore is one of the most accomplished active coaches in Division I, owning 880 career wins, and is entering his 14th season at NC State, where he has built a perennial national contender.

The Wolfpack have made 31 NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Final Four trips and multiple Elite Eight runs. The most recent Final Four trip came in 2024, falling to eventual champion South Carolina.

NC State has earned 11 NCAA Tournament berths under Moore, including nine straight, and have reached the Sweet 16 in six of the past eight tournaments.

Opponents: Kansas State, LSU

NC State leads Kansas State 4-1 all-time, highlighted by an 89-57 NCAA Tournament second round win in the most recent meeting on March 21, 2022. The Wolfpack trail LSU 4-1, with LSU winning the last three meetings, including an 80-73 result on March 28, 2025.

TCU

Mark Campbell is entering his fourth season as head coach of TCU women’s basketball. Behind Campbell, TCU has morphed into one of the winningest programs in the country. TCU has tallied the sixth-most victories (87) of any Division I program and notched 20 AP Top 10 rankings over the last three seasons.

TCU has notched back-to-back Big 12 regular season championships and consecutive Elite Eight appearances ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

The Horned Frogs are one of only five teams at the power-conference level that posted consecutive 30-win seasons in 2024-25 and 2025-26 (South Carolina, Texas, UCLA, UConn).

Opponents: Georgia Tech; Mississippi State

The Horned Frogs trail Mississippi State 2-1 all-time, with their lone win coming in 2005 and Mississippi State taking the most recent matchup in the 2024 WBIT. The matchup against Georgia Tech will be the first in program history.

Villanova

Denise Dillon has led her alma mater to a 139-59 overall record through her first five seasons as head coach.

Villanova earned its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2026 and reached the Sweet 16 in 2023. The program also boasts an appearance in the Elite 8 in 2003.

The Wildcats won 25 games in 2025-26, finished second in the BIG EAST regular-season standings and advanced to the conference championship game for the third time in the last five years.

Opponents: Kansas State, LSU

Villanova has played both of its 2026 Fort Myers Tip-Off opponents once previously, with the Wildcats looking to even both all-time series. Villanova fell to LSU, 63-56, on Nov. 15, 2003, at the Women’s Sports Foundation Classic in Eugene, Ore., before dropping a 75-63 decision to Kansas State on Dec. 28, 2004, in Philadelphia.

About the Fort Myers Tip-Off and Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off

An annual celebration of men’s and women’s college basketball, the Fort Myers Tip-Off and Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off welcomes the top programs from around the country for incredible competition to see which teams and their fans will #OwnTheFort during Thanksgiving Week. Contested at Suncoast Credit Union Arena, the home of Florida SouthWestern State College, the events have quickly become a staple of the Southwest Florida sports calendar. To receive the latest email alerts regarding event news, ticket information and more, visit our website at www.fortmyerstipoff.com or www.womensfortmyerstipoff.com and follow Intersport Basketball on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @IntersportHoops.