James Madison University will face Troy University in the 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Championship game, scheduled for March 8 at the Pensacola Bay Center. The matchup is set for 2 p.m. Eastern Time and will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.
This game marks James Madison’s fourth consecutive appearance in the Sun Belt title game, a feat last achieved by Middle Tennessee from 2003 to 2010. The two teams did not meet during the regular season and have never played each other in a tournament final before. Troy has previously won three Sun Belt tournament titles, while James Madison claimed its first in 2023 since joining the league in 2022.
In their semifinal match, James Madison defeated top-seeded Georgia Southern with an 81-53 victory, dominating rebounds and holding their opponent to under 37 percent shooting. Peyton McDaniel led with 25 points, while Ashanti Barnes recorded her eleventh double-double of the season. Other key contributors included Bree Robinson and Zakiya Stephenson, who combined for strong performances both offensively and defensively.
Troy advanced to the championship after defeating Arkansas State, with Zay Dyer achieving her twenty-third double-double of the season and surpassing significant career milestones including joining Troy’s 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound club.
A win would give James Madison its second Sun Belt title and eleventh conference tournament championship overall. It would also secure their fourteenth appearance in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. If victorious, James Madison would become the first non-top-two seed to win the conference tournament since Troy accomplished this as a third seed in 2017.
