Tampa Holds Top Spot in 2025-26 SSC Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
By: Phill Wood | SSC
ORLANDO, Fla. - Sunshine State Conference women's basketball coaches select Tampa as the conference's top team heading into the 2025-26 season. The Spartans are expected to win their 10th regular-season title following 95 total points and five first-place votes in the preseason poll.
Embry-Riddle, who finished tied with Tampa atop the 2024-25 standings, finished second in the preseason ranking with 90 points and the final six first-place votes. Eckerd lands in third with 81 points, while Nova Southeastern and Lynn round out the Top-5 with 75 and 56 points, respectively. Florida Southern finished sixth with 52 points, and Palm Beach Atlantic obtained 44 points for seventh place. Rounding out the 2025-26 poll are Saint Leo (34 points), Barry (30 points), Rollins (29 points), and Florida Tech (19 points).
2025-26 SSC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Tampa and Embry-Riddle each finished the 2024-25 season at 17-3 in the conference standings. The Spartans claimed their ninth regular-season conference title, while the Eagles claimed their first. Nova Southeastern followed with a 16-4 mark in SSC play. Top-seeded Embry-Riddle defeated Nova Southeastern 55-51 to earn the program’s first SSC Tournament title.
Embry-Riddle, Nova Southeastern, and Tampa earned NCAA Division II tournament bids in 2024-25. Embry-Riddle and Nova Southeastern both won their first-round matchups, setting up a meeting between the two teams in the regional semifinals. There, the Sharks got revenge for their SSC Tournament Championship loss, defeating the Eagles 66-63 to advance to the regional finals. Nova Southeastern’s run ended in the regional finals, as the Sharks fell to top-seeded Union (TN), 65-60.
Tampa is the first SSC team to hit the court in the 2025-26 season, as they take on Harding on Friday, November 7, in Denton, Texas. All remaining league teams begin playing on Friday, November 14, or Saturday, November 15. Embry-Riddle and Saint Leo will open up conference play on Saturday, November 22.
Below are the full results of the 2025-26 SSC preseason women's basketball coaches' poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their teams (points: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).
2025-26 SSC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
-
|
Rank
|
School
|
Total Votes
|
|
1
|
Tampa
|
95 (5)
|
|
2
|
Embry-Riddle
|
90 (6)
|
|
3
|
Eckerd
|
81
|
|
4
|
Nova Southeastern
|
75
|
|
5
|
Lynn
|
56
|
|
6
|
Florida Southern
|
52
|
|
7
|
Palm Beach Atlantic
|
44
|
|
8
|
Saint Leo
|
34
|
|
9
|
Barry
|
30
|
|
10
|
Rollins
|
29
|
|
11
|
Florida Tech
|
19
|
See Also: SSC All-Americans | All-SSC Teams | SSC Champions | Elite 8 Appearances | Record Book
Previous SSC Women’s Basketball Polls & Champions
| Year |
Predicted Regular Season Winner |
Regular Season Finish |
Regular Season
Champion |
Predicted
Finish |
Tournament
Champion |
Predicted Regular Season Finish |
| 2024-25 |
Tampa |
T1st |
Tampa / Embry-Riddle |
1st / 3rd |
Embry-Riddle |
3rd |
| 2023-24 |
Tampa |
2nd |
Nova Southeastern |
2nd |
Eckerd |
3rd |
| 2022-23 |
Eckerd |
2nd |
Tampa |
2nd |
Tampa |
2nd |
| 2021-22 |
Tampa |
1st |
Tampa |
1st |
Tampa |
1st |
| 2020-21 |
No Poll Due to Covid 19 |
Not awarded due to COVID-19 |
Tampa |
N/A |
| 2019-20 |
Tampa |
1st |
Tampa |
1st |
Eckerd |
4th |
| 2018-19 |
Florida Southern |
1st |
Florida Southern |
1st |
Florida Southern |
1st |
| 2017-18 |
Rollins |
T9th |
Florida Southern |
T5th |
Florida Southern |
T5th |
| 2016-17 |
Nova Southeastern |
4th |
Eckerd |
T6th |
Eckerd |
T6th |
| 2015-16 |
Nova Southeastern |
1st |
Nova Southeastern |
1st |
Tampa |
2nd |
| 2014-15 |
Tampa |
5th |
Nova Southeastern |
2nd |
Nova Southeastern |
2nd |
| 2013-14 |
Nova Southeastern |
2nd |
Tampa |
T3rd |
Nova Southeastern |
1st |
| 2012-13 |
Rollins |
T3rd |
Lynn / Nova Southeastern |
7th / 2nd |
Rollins |
1st |
| 2011-12 |
Rollins |
T1st |
Barry / Florida Southern / Rollins |
5th / 3rd / 1st |
Rollins |
1st |
| 2010-11 |
Florida Southern |
1st |
Florida Southern |
1st |
Florida Southern |
1st |
| 2009-10 |
Tampa |
1st |
Tampa |
1st |
Lynn |
7th |
| 2008-09 |
Nova Southeastern |
T3rd |
Rollins/Tampa |
5th / 4th |
Tampa |
4th |
| 2007-08 |
Tampa |
2nd |
Nova Southeastern |
5th |
Nova Southeastern |
5th |
| 2006-07 |
Rollins |
T1st |
Florida Tech / Rollins |
3rd / 1st |
Tampa |
2nd |
| 2005-06 |
Rollins |
1st |
Rollins |
1st |
Tampa |
4th |
| 2004-05 |
Rollins |
T4th |
Florida Southern |
2nd |
Rollins |
1st |
| 2003-04 |
Florida Southern |
2nd |
Rollins |
2nd |
Rollins |
2nd |
| 2002-03 |
Rollins |
T3rd |
Florida Southern / Tampa |
3rd / 4th |
Florida Southern |
3rd |
| 2001-02 |
Rollins |
T1st |
Florida Tech / Rollins |
3rd / 1st |
Florida Tech |
1st |
| 2000-01 |
Rollins |
1st |
Rollins |
1st |
Rollins |
1st |