ATLANTA (July 28, 2026) — Alabama, Florida A&M, Florida State, North Carolina, Purdue, Texas Tech, UCF and USF will compete in the third annual WBCA Showcase on Nov. 19, 21 and 22, 2026, at Walt Disney World Resort, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today.
All games will be played in the State Farm Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which has a storied history of hosting elite men’s and women’s college basketball events including the ESPN Events Invitational that has been held there since 2006, as well as the WBCA Showcase.
“We are excited to announce Alabama, Florida A&M, Florida State, North Carolina, Purdue, Texas Tech, UCF and USF as the participants in the 2026 WBCA Showcase,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “This field ensures for the third straight year an outstanding weekend of college women’s basketball at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
“We also welcome back Boardwalk Sports, Walt Disney World Resort, the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, and the Orlando World Center Marriott to our host team. They all contributed to the success of the 2024 and 2025 Showcases. I am grateful to once again have them onboard.”
“The WBCA Showcase is a marquee event for us that brings together great programs and talented student-athletes, coaches, and fans, and we’re excited to welcome them for another year of competition,” said ESPN Wide World of Sports Vice President Adam Ball.
Here are this year’s matchups (home team listed last; all times Eastern Standard Time):
Thursday, Nov. 19
Purdue vs. Florida State, 11 a.m.
Texas Tech vs. North Carolina, 6 p.m.
Alabama vs. Florida A&M, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 21
UCF vs. Florida State, noon
Purdue vs. Texas Tech, 2:30 p.m.
Alabama vs. North Carolina, 5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 22
Texas Tech vs. USF, 1 p.m.
“Congratulations to our partners at ESPN Wide World of Sports, Orange and Osceola Counties, Boardwalk Sports, and the WBCA on announcing the outstanding field of teams set to compete in the 2026 WBCA Showcase, including our hometown UCF Knights,” said Jason Siegel, President & CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “This tournament continues to showcase some of the nation’s premier women’s basketball programs and further strengthens the legacy of world-class events hosted at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World. We look forward to welcoming the student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and families to our community for an unforgettable experience both on and off the court.”
Tickets for the WBCA Showcase are on sale now exclusively through Ticketmaster by clicking here. Tickets start at only $25 with upgraded seating options available. All tickets will be sold online via Ticketmaster and delivered digitally. Tickets will not be available to purchase onsite at the State Farm Field House box office on game days.
Group discounted tickets also will be available soon. Those who are interested in group discounted tickets may contact Ellie Tangen, WBCA director of membership and ticket sales, by email at ellie.tangen@wbca.org to receive more information.
Broadcast information will be announced at a later date.
Here are some quick facts about the participating teams.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Nickname: Crimson Tide
Head Coach: Pauline Love (beginning first season)
Conference: Southeastern Conference (10th in 2025-26)
2025-26 Record: 24-11 (7-9 in SEC)
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Location: Orlando, Florida
Nickname: Knights
Head Coach: Gabe Lazo (beginning first season)
Conference: Big 12 Conference (14th in 2025-26)
2025-26 Record: 11-19 (3-15 in Big 12)
FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Nickname: Rattlers
Head Coach: Bridgette Gordon (beginning 4th season, 27-63)
Conference: Southwestern Athletic Conference (8th in 2025-26)
2025-26 Record: 9-22 (7-11 in SWAC)
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Nickname: Seminoles
Head Coach: Brooke Wyckoff (beginning 5th season, 90-60)
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (14th in 2025-26)
2025-26 Record: 10-21 (5-13 in ACC)
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Nickname: Tar Heels
Head Coach: Courtney Banghart (beginning 8th season, 153-72)
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (3rd in 2025-26)
2025-26 Record: 28-8 (14-4 in ACC)
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
Nickname: Boilermakers
Head Coach: Katie Gearlds (beginning 6th season, 74-81)
Conference: Big Ten Conference (14th in 2025-26)
2025-26 Record: 13-17 (5-13 in Big Ten)
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Nickname: Lady Raiders
Head Coach: Krista Gerlich (beginning 7th season, 103-91)
Conference: Big 12 Conference (4th in 2025-26)
2025-26 Record: 26-8 (12-6 in WCC)
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Location: Tampa, Florida
Nickname: Bulls
Head Coach: Kristy Curry (beginning first season)
Conference: American Athletic Conference (finished 3rd in 2025-26)
2025-26 Record: 20-12 (13-5 in American)
Click here to download event logo.
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About ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is where sports dreams come true for athletes and fans of all ages. Located at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the complex is the home of a variety of events including Disney Soccer and Disney Spring Training and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries since opening in 1997. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with experiences synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 260+-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields; a 9,500-seat stadium; a state-of-the-art indoor arena and two versatile field houses for basketball, volleyball, and other indoor sports; and 17 multi-purpose fields for outdoor sports including soccer, football and field hockey. The complex includes a professional production center that produces content for global distribution on the Disney family of networks. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com for news releases, photos and videos.
About the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
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