NDSU Women Eye First NCAA Berth Since 2004
North Dakota State opens its 2026-27 season against Gonzaga on November 2 with most of its key contributors returning.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Basketball
North Dakota State women's basketball enters the 2026-27 season with high expectations, led by third-year guard Jocelyn Schiller and nearly all key components returning. The Bison open against Gonzaga at 8 p.m. CT on Monday, November 2, in Spokane, Washington.
Why it matters
NDSU has not reached the NCAA field since its final Division II season in 2004, and the program is aiming to break into the Division I NCAA Tournament for the first time in its Division I era. Last season ended with a Summit League championship loss to South Dakota State.
Schiller was an all-Summit League second team selection and shot 150 free throws last season, the second-most on the team. Karrington Asp moves into the starting lineup from her top bench role, while Gonzaga's prior 81-66 win is the most recent meeting between the programs.
The players
Jocelyn Schiller
A third-year North Dakota State guard and all-Summit League second team selection, she is the team's leading returning scorer and playmaker.
North Dakota State Bison
The Fargo-based women's basketball program is seeking its first NCAA Tournament bid since its final Division II season in 2004.
The details
Schiller, a third-year guard in her second season with the Bison, is the centerpiece of the group, and the team's scoring leans heavily on four players who account for 77% of points. Last season she led the team in scoring once, with a 19-point effort against Kansas City.
Timeline
2004: NDSU's final Division II season and last NCAA field appearance.
Last season: South Dakota State ended NDSU's Summit League championship run.
Monday, November 2, 2026, 8 p.m. CT: NDSU opens against Gonzaga in Spokane.
Season Trajectory
NDSU's bid to reach the NCAA Tournament would break a streak dating back to 2004, the last year it made the field as a Division II program. Its Summit League title hopes are shaped by a conference title game loss to South Dakota State last season.
Fantasy and bracket watchers should track whether Schiller and the returning core can carry the Bison past Gonzaga on November 2. The Summit League race will hinge on how NDSU handles a conference that South Dakota State has recently topped.
The takeaway
NDSU's return of nearly its whole core makes the opener against Gonzaga a useful early test of whether the program can finally break its long NCAA drought.
Further reading
Follow more coverage in the Basketball section for Fargo teams.
