Fayetteville, NC – March 9, 2025 – The Fayetteville State University women's basketball team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament by triumphing in the CIAA Tournament. The Broncos will now compete among the nation's top 64 teams as the Atlantic Region No. 7 seed.The final 64-team bracket was announced during a Selection Show on NCAA.com Sunday night. FSU will take on No. 2 Gannon in Edinboro, Pennsylvania on March 14.

"We are satisfied with the NCAA Rankings," said Head Coach Tyreece Brown. "We play Ganon University, a team we lost to in the Sweet Sixteen. A match-up that we have been waiting for, and we are excited. They are a well coached team but we are ready to play."
 
The NCAA DII Women's Basketball Tournament is a highly anticipated event, featuring 64 teams vying for the national championship. The tournament structure includes 23 teams that secure their spots by winning their respective conference tournaments, earning automatic bids. These 23 conferences are divided into eight regions, with Fayetteville State representing the CIAA in the Atlantic Region.
 
As the Broncos prepare for their journey, they aim to improve their mark made on the national stage last season. FSU had a record-breaking run last season, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA DII Women's Basketball Tournament. The No. 3 seed of the Atlantic Region defeated No. 6 Indiana Pa 72-63 and out-battled No.2 Fairmont State 70-62 to advance to the Regional Championship. Last season's run ended to No. 1 Gannon, 72-47.

The CIAA Runner-up Virginia State University was seeded eighth and will face host Edindoro.
 
Selection Process for the DII Women's Basketball Tournament
 
The selection process for the DII women's basketball tournament mirrors the excitement of March Madness at the Division I level. In addition to the 23 automatic bids, 41 at-large teams are chosen based on their performance throughout the season. The NCAA releases regional rankings in the final three weeks of the season, providing a glimpse into which teams are likely to make the bracket.
 
The selection committee evaluates teams based on several criteria, including in-region winning percentage, overall DII winning percentage, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, and performance against common opponents.

Regionals | March 14, 15 and 17 — Watch on NCAA.com

• Atlantic
  • No. 1 Edinboro vs. No. 8 Virginia St.
  • No. 4 Indiana (PA) vs. No. 5 Fairmont St.
  • No. 2 Gannon vs. Fayetteville St.
  • No. 3 Seton Hill vs. No. 6 Kutztown