Every part of the college basketball season offers a different type of excitement, from the preseason nerves to kickoff and holiday tournaments to nonconference battles to the long fight for conference titles to the postseason brackets that turn every March into something magical.

The South Atlantic Conference enters the 2026-27 women’s basketball season following a year that showcased the league’s depth, competitive regular-season race and NCAA Tournament potential.

If you’re a fan of small-school college athletics, you know that December is a perfect time to kick off the season strong, and this week, FloCollege is bringing you a slate of high-stakes games featuring multiple nationally ranked teams from the latest WBCA poll.

Emory & Henry is 11th in the SAC poll after a 7-23 season, but the Wasps flashed a 5-1 nonconference mark.

Tusculum checks in 10th on the SAC preseason poll and returns a pair of backcourt anchors on the SAC Players to Watch list.

Newberry enters the 2025–26 season determined to make a move up the South Atlantic Conference standings. The Wolves were picked ninth in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll, positioning them as a team looking to surprise higher-ranked opponents.

UVA Wise is eighth in the SAC poll and embraces a youth-fueled reset with no seniors and depth across sophomores and freshmen.

Lincoln Memorial ranks seventh and stands out as the only program with two preseason All-SAC Conference honorees.

Catawba is sixth after a 17-12 overall season and 15-9 SAC mark that finished fifth in 2024–25.

Lenoir-Rhyne is fifth in the SAC poll and enters a new era under head coach Emry Tsitouris after her successful run at Mars Hill.

Anderson sits fourth with one first-place vote in the SAC preseason poll after a 24-10 season capped by a SAC Tournament championship and a 12-game win streak.

Wingate, third in the SAC preseason poll, carries momentum from a 19-11 season with a 17-7 SAC mark and a backcourt that drives winning habits.

Carson-Newman opens at No. 2 in the SAC poll with two first-place votes and its 11th straight season placing a player on the preseason first team.

Mars Hill is 12th in the SAC Preseason Poll and turns the page under new head coach NaJarius “JJ” Green, a program builder with a track record of rapid improvement.

No. 6-ranked North Georgia (29-3) hosts the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament Southeast Region and is the favorite to reach the Elite Eight in Pittsburgh.