James Madison University will play against Kentucky in the opening round of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, according to a March 15 announcement. The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 21, in Morgantown, West Virginia, with tipoff at 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
The matchup places James Madison as the No. 12 seed and Kentucky as the No. 5 seed in Regional 3 – Fort Worth, where Texas holds the top seed. The winner will advance to face either No. 4 West Virginia or No. 13 Miami (Ohio) in the second round on Monday.
This marks James Madison’s 14th appearance in the NCAA Championship and its second under Head Coach Sean O’Regan. Since joining the Sun Belt Conference before the 2022-23 season, O’Regan has led the Dukes to a record of 105-34 overall and a conference record of 58-14.
The Dukes secured their spot by winning their second Sun Belt Conference Championship on March 9 with a victory over Troy. They enter the tournament with a twelve-game win streak and have held their last nine opponents to fewer than sixty points per game. Statistically, James Madison ranks among national leaders in rebounding and scoring efficiency this season.
Key players include Peyton McDaniel, named Most Outstanding Player of the Sun Belt Championship, who averages nearly nineteen points and seven-and-a-half rebounds per game; Ashanti Barnes, recognized for her all-around contributions; and Bree Robinson, who tied a program record for steals while also surpassing one hundred assists this season.
Kentucky is led by Kenny Brooks, who previously coached at James Madison for fourteen seasons and is now recognized as that program’s all-time winningest head coach. This meeting will be only the fourth between these teams and their first since the 2007-08 season.
Ticket information for James Madison’s first-round matchup will be announced soon.
