Michigan State Women's Basketball Earns No. 5 Seed in NCAA Tournament

Spartans face Colorado State in first round after late-season slump

Mar. 16, 2026 at 7:20am

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The Michigan State women's basketball team earned a No. 5 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, their highest seeding in 10 years, despite ending the regular season and Big Ten Tournament on a slump, losing four of their last six games. The Spartans (22-8) will face No. 12 seed Colorado State (27-7) in the first round in Norman, Oklahoma, in the Sacramento Regional.

Why it matters

Michigan State's late-season struggles raised questions about their ability to make a deep tournament run, but the Spartans have a chance to prove themselves against a tough Colorado State team that won the Mountain West Tournament. A strong NCAA Tournament performance could help erase the memories of their late-season collapse.

The details

Under third-year head coach Robyn Fralick, the Spartans started the season strong but stumbled down the stretch, winning just 5 of their final 11 games. Their record-setting 22-win regular season was enough to earn them a third straight NCAA Tournament bid, but the Spartans will need to rebound quickly to avoid an early exit.

  • The Spartans (22-8) will face Colorado State (27-7) on Friday, March 21, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. EST (ESPNews) in the first round in Norman, Oklahoma.
  • Michigan State earned a No. 5 seed, their highest NCAA Tournament seeding in 10 years.

The players

Robyn Fralick

The third-year head coach of the Michigan State women's basketball team.

Colorado State

The No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Mountain West Tournament champion with a 27-7 record.

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What they’re saying

“We know how good the teams that are left playing are and how good the teams in the tournament are. But what's been great is you get this two-week break, which is interesting on the women's side but it's also helpful because for two weeks, you don't know who you're playing and so you get to just worry about you.”

— Robyn Fralick, Head Coach, Michigan State Women's Basketball

What’s next

The winner of the Michigan State-Colorado State first round matchup will face the winner of the No. 4 seed Oklahoma-No. 13 seed Gonzaga game in the second round.

The takeaway

Michigan State's late-season struggles are a concern, but the two-week break before the NCAA Tournament gives them a chance to regroup and refocus. If the Spartans can regain their early-season form, they have the talent to make a deep tournament run despite their No. 5 seed.