2021 DII women's basketball championship field announced

The NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Committee announced today the field of 48 teams that will compete in the 2021 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship. As a result of reduced sponsorship numbers due to COVID-19, the bracket was reduced from its traditional 64-team field.

Sixteen conferences have been awarded automatic qualification. The remaining 32 teams were selected at large by the committee.

Due to the health and safety protocols surrounding the pandemic, regional sites were awarded to predetermined sites rather than to the top seeded teams in each region. Eight six-team regionals will be played March 12, 13 and 15, with the top two seeds in each region receiving a bye into the semifinals. The sites are as follows:

Atlantic Region – Columbus, Ohio; Ohio Dominican University and Greater Columbus Convention Center, hosts
Central Region – Warrensburg, Missouri; University of Central Missouri, host
East Region – Amherst, New York; Daemen College, host
Midwest Region - Springfield, Missouri; Drury University, host
South Region – Dahlonega, Georgia; University of North Georgia, host
South Central Region – Canyon, Texas; West Texas A&M University, host
Southeast Region – Jefferson City, Tennessee; Carson-Newman University, host
West Region – Grand Junction, Colorado; Colorado Mesa University, host
 
The winners of each of the eight regionals will advance to the 2021 NCAA Division II Women’s Elite Eight, which will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, March 23, 24 and 26. Ohio Dominican University and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission will serve as hosts.

LIVE UPDATES: Keep up with the 2021 DII women's basketball tournament

Conferences that received automatic qualification are as follows:

California Collegiate Athletic Association                             N/A
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference                                 Dominican (New York)
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association                         N/A
Conference Carolinas                                                              Belmont Abbey
East Coast Conference                                                            Roberts Wesleyan
Great American Conference                                                   Southern Nazarene
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference                 Michigan Tech
Great Lakes Valley Conference                                               Drury
Great Midwest Athletic Conference                                       Tiffin
Great Northwest Athletic Conference                                   N/A
Gulf South Conference                                                            Union (Tennessee)
Lone Star Conference                                                              Lubbock Christian
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association             Nebraska-Kearney
Mountain East Conference                                                     Charleston (West Virginia)
Northeast-10 Conference                                                       N/A
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference                           Minnesota Duluth
Pacific West Conference                                                         Hawaii Pacific
Peach Belt Conference                                                           North Georgia
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference                              N/A
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference                                   Black Hills State
South Atlantic Conference                                                     Tusculum
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference                     N/A  
Sunshine State Conference                                                    N/A
 
Those institutions receiving at-large berths are, in alphabetical order, as follows:
 
American International
Arkansas Tech
Ashland
Azusa Pacific
Barton
Cameron
Carson-Newman
Catawba
Cedarville
Central Missouri
Concordia (NY)
Daemen
Emporia State
Fort Hays State
Georgian Court
Glenville State
Grand Valley State
Kentucky Wesleyan
Lander
Lee (TN)
Montevallo
Northwood
Southwestern Oklahoma State
St. Cloud State
Texas A&M-Commerce
Truman
Tuskegee
Valdosta State
Walsh
Western Colorado
Westminster (UT)