Courtesy of the GNAC
WINTHROP, Mass. – Beginning with the 2016-17 season, Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's basketball will shift to divisional play for all conference contests, as announced by GNAC Commissioner Joe Walsh on Wednesday morning.
Next winter, divisional opponents will play each team within their division twice – one home contest and one away tilt – while playing each team in the opposite division once for a total of 16 league games.
"We are very excited for the new regular-season and playoff structure for GNAC women's basketball," said Walsh. "I would like to commend Anna Maria Athletic Director and GNAC women's basketball sport chair Laura Habacker for her hard work in successfully helping the conference adopt this new format."
The North Division will consist of Anna Maria College, Lasell College, Norwich University, Rivier University, Saint Joseph's College of Maine and Simmons College; the South Division will be made up by Albertus Magnus College, Emmanuel College, Johnson & Wales University, Mount Ida College, the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) and Suffolk University.
Based on overall conference record, the top four seeds from each division will advance to the GNAC Tournament, as the size of the field (8) will not change despite the new playoff format. Quarterfinal competition will feature crossover matchups between the two divisions, with each GNAC No. 1 seed hosting the opposite division's No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seeds hosting the other division's No. 3 seeds. If the two teams that advance to the GNAC Tournament Final own the same seed, the winner of the regular-season head-to-head matchup will determine the championship host.
"I am excited about the new format for GNAC women's basketball," said Habacker. "Divisional play allows for more league games and I feel that two GNAC teams earning NCAA Tournament bids this season points to the strength of the league."
"This may lead to newborn rivalries and gives teams a sense or urgency with non-divisional opponents and an opportunity for redemption with our in-division opponents," Habacker added.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.