Cincinnati’s Liz Darger Chosen for Key NCAA Women’s Basketball Role

In Cincinnati, Ohio, Liz Darger is stepping into the spotlight after being elected to a significant post within the NCAA. She has been named the chair of the 2026-27 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. This role represents a major achievement for Darger, who has been involved with the committee since 2024.

Before taking on the chair position, Darger will serve as the vice chair for the upcoming 2025-26 season, under the leadership of Amanda Braun. “It has been a privilege to serve on the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee,” Darger said. “I am honored by the trust my peers have placed in me to serve as vice-chair this year and chair in 2026-27.” She expressed her excitement about growing and navigating challenges in women’s basketball with care and wisdom.

Darger’s role is especially important as she will help oversee various aspects of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. This includes selecting and seeding teams, managing championship operations, addressing any misconduct issues, and choosing officials who will officiate the games. There will be a total of 68 teams involved in the championship, made up of 37 at-large teams and 31 conference winners.

Apart from her recent accomplishments, Darger has been serving as BYU’s senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator since joining the university in 2015. She also contributes to the Big 12 Conference’s executive SWA committee and has experience as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Utah Valley. Darger is recognized for her work on the NCAA Common Ground Leadership Team, where she focuses on building bridges between faith-based and LGBTQ communities in college sports.

As Liz Darger takes on her new responsibilities, she carries with her both a strong academic background and a commitment to making progress in collegiate sports.