March 17, 2026
Fort Collins, CO - In a college sports landscape transformed by transfers, endorsements and constant roster changes, two programs committed to serving the country are still standing.
Army and Air Force each earned bids to the 2026 Women’s National Invitation Tournament, putting two military service academies in the same postseason field for the second straight year.
The BlackKnights and Falcons claimed two of the 48 spots in the WNIT, extending their seasons after very different paths through the winter.
Air Force finished their season at 16-18 overall, but the Falcons saved their best basketball for March. After a season filled with tight losses — including a two-point setback to Colorado State and a one-point win over Grand Canyon that showed what they could be at their best — Air Force arrived at the conference tournament as the No. 9 seed and ripped off three straight wins.
The Falcons beat Wyoming in the opening round, stunned top-seeded San Diego State 83-76 in the quarterfinals and edged Boise State 68-66 in the semifinals before falling in a 56-42 loss to Colorado State in the championship game.
Army’s season had a sturdier shape from the start. The Black Knights went 24-7 overall and 14-4 in Patriot League play, won 13 of 15 at home and stacked up strong results that included a road win at Colgate, a victory over UMass and a regular-season split with Lehigh that featured a 64-55 win in Bethlehem after dropping the league opener to the Mountain Hawks.
The Black Knights won 10 of 12 games from Jan. 3 through Feb. 11 and closed the regular season with wins over Lafayette and Bucknell before opening the Patriot League Tournament with another victory over Lafayette.
Now both teams are marching on.
For Army and Air Force, the bids represent more than just extra basketball. They are another reminder that two schools built on duty, discipline and service to the country can still carve out space on the March stage.
The WNIT, operated by Triple Crown Sports, begins at campus sites and gives teams outside the NCAA Tournament another chance to keep playing.
For a second straight season, the service academies will be represented together in the WNIT— with Army and Air Force carrying that banner into March once again.
Northern Colorado @ Air Force – March 19th 8:30pmET
Army plays the winner of Merrimack and NJIT in the 2nd Round - March 22nd 2:00pmET
Follow all the action on womensnit.com/tournamentcentral