FAIRMONT, W. Va. - The Fairmont State University women's basketball team has been selected as the Mountain East Conference preseason favorite following a vote of the league's 12 head coaches.
The MEC women's basketball preseason poll was announced Tuesday afternoon at the WesBanco Arena, the site of this year's basketball media day.
Fairmont State received five out of 12 total first-place votes, as coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams. Additionally, Fairmont State tallied 113 points.
The Falcons posted an overall record of 21-9, marking a 13-7 record in conference play last season as they concluded their season in the semifinals at the 2026 MEC Women's Basketball Tournament with a loss to Glenville State.
The University of Charleston was selected to finish second in the poll with five first place votes and 111 total points. The Golden Eagles were last year's MEC Women's Basketball Tournament Champions, posting an overall record of 21-11, with a conference record of 14-6.The Golden Eagles concluded their season during the opening round of the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional against No. 1 Indiana (Pa.) in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
Glenville State University earned the final two first place votes in the poll, totaling 101 points. The Pioneers marked records of 24-7 and 16-4 during the 2025-26 season. Glenville State concluded their season during the first round of the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional against No. 3 Winston-Salem State in Indiana, Pa.
West Virginia Wesleyan College and Concord University rounded out the top-five of the preseason poll, with 84 and 77 points, respectively.
The 2026-27 MEC women's basketball season begins on Nov. 9 as six league teams are set to compete in non-conference contests.
| MEC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll |
| Rank |
Team (First Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Fairmont State (5) |
113 |
| 2 |
Charleston (5) |
111 |
| 3 |
Glenville State (2) |
101 |
| 4 |
West Virginia Wesleyan |
84 |
| 5 |
Concord |
77 |
| 6 |
Frostburg State |
72 |
| 7 |
West Liberty |
68 |
| 8 |
Wheeling |
50 |
| 9 |
West Virginia State |
46 |
| 10 |
Shawnee State |
32 |
| 11 |
Point Park |
23 |
| 12 |
Davis & Elkins |
15 |
