CLEVELAND, Ohio — Three Mid-American Conference women's basketball programs have earned recognition in the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Preseason Top 25. Ball State leads the group at No. 8, followed by Miami at No. 16 and UMass at No. 23. All three programs also finished among the top three teams in the 2026-27 MAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll, highlighting the conference's expectations for the upcoming season.

The Cardinals were selected as the MAC preseason favorite, receiving 111 points and five first-place votes from the league's head coaches. Ball State also received four votes to win the 2027 MAC Tournament.

Miami was picked second in the conference preseason poll with 108 points and four first-place votes. The RedHawks enter the season following a historic 2025-26 campaign in which they captured both the MAC regular-season and tournament championships and earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008.

UMass rounded out the top three in the MAC coaches poll with 103 points and one first-place vote. The Minutewomen finished 23-6 overall and 15-3 in their first season in the conference, earning the No. 3 seed in the 2026 MAC Tournament.

The 2026-27 season tips off on Monday, Nov. 2 with the MAC-SBC Challenge. The 12 MAC women's basketball teams will host the 12 sun belt women's basketball programs to open the new campaign.