October 19, 2026
MADISON, S.D. — Dakota State (S.D.) has been selected as the preseason favorite to capture the 2026-27 Frontier Conference women's basketball regular-season championship, according to the league's coaches' preseason poll released Monday morning. It was the second consecutive year in the expanded league that DSU was picked as the preseason favorite.
The Trojans collected eight of the 12 first-place votes and totaled 117 points to claim the top spot in the preseason poll. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Dakota State enters the 2026-27 season following one of the most successful campaigns in program history. The Trojans finished the 2025-26 season with an impressive 30-6 overall record, capturing the Frontier Conference regular-season championship in their first season as a member of the expanded 12-team league.
The Trojans also extended their conference regular season title to six straight seasons (five consecutive seasons with the former North Star Athletic Association).
DSU also made a historic postseason run to the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship semifinals, finishing among the final four teams in the nation.
The Trojans posted a 19-3 record in Frontier Conference play last season, leading the league in scoring with an average of 80.5 points per conference game. Dakota State averaged 82.5 points per game overall during its 36-game campaign.
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) was selected second in the preseason poll, receiving two first-place votes and 110 points. Montana Tech, the defending Frontier Conference postseason tournament champion, followed in third place with two first-place votes and 103 points.
Carroll (Mont.) was picked fourth with 89 points, followed by MSU-Northern in fifth with 75 points.
Montana Western was selected sixth with 70 points, followed by Providence (Mont.) in seventh with 65 points and Valley City State (N.D.) in eighth with 60 points.
Bismarck State (N.D.) was picked ninth with 44 points, followed by Bellevue (Neb.) in 10th with 31 points. Dickinson State (N.D.) was selected 11th with 25 points, while Mayville State (N.D.) rounded out the poll in 12th with 13 points.
Four Frontier Conference teams qualified for last season's NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament, including Dakota State, Montana Tech, Rocky Mountain and Carroll.
The 2026-27 Frontier Conference women's basketball schedule features 22 games, with each team playing 11 home contests and 11 road games. Conference competition begins in mid-November and continues through February.
The Frontier Conference Basketball Postseason Tournament is scheduled for Feb. 26-March 1, 2027, at the Butte Civic Center in Butte, Mont. The women's tournament quarterfinals are scheduled for Feb. 27, followed by the semifinals Feb. 28 and championship game March 1.
The Frontier Conference receives two automatic berths to the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship, awarded to the regular-season champion and postseason tournament champion. If the same team wins both titles, the tournament runner-up receives the second automatic berth.
Dakota State officially kicks off their 2026-27 season Saturday and Sunday in the Northwest Crossover Classic in Spokane, Wash. The Trojans face a pair of teams from the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC), starting Saturday versus Walla Walla (Wash.) and Oregon Tech on Sunday. Both games are set for 10 p.m. (Central Time)/8 p.m. (Pacific Time).
2026-27 Frontier Conference Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll
First-place votes in parentheses
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1 |
Dakota State (S.D.) (8) |
117 |
| 2 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) (2) |
110 |
| 3 |
Montana Tech (2) |
103 |
| 4 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
89 |
| 5 |
MSU-Northern |
75 |
| 6 |
Montana Western |
70 |
| 7 |
Providence (Mont.) |
65 |
| 8 |
Valley City State (N.D.) |
60 |
| 9 |
Bismarck State (N.D.) |
44 |
| 10 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
31 |
| 11 |
Dickinson State (N.D.) |
25 |
| 12 |
Mayville State (N.D.) |
13 |
