FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women's basketball checked in at No. 2 in CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
FGCU is the only Atlantic Sun Conference team represented on the list, but two of FGCU's non-conference opponents this season also made an appearance as Cal Baptist is No. 21 and Columbia is No. 9 overall. FGCU hosts Cal Baptist Friday, Nov. 19, and heads to New York on Monday, Nov. 11 to face Columbia.
Gonzaga emerged with the top spot in the ranking, earning 27 first-place votes. FGCU received two first-place votes. Ball State and Middle Tennesee State are ranked three and four, respectively. Princeton rounded out the top five.
FGCU is coming off a 29-5 record, a perfect 16-0 campaign in the ASUN and their seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles won each regular season conference game last season by double digits, recorded a home Power Four win over Kentucky, defeated No. 18 North Carolina on a neutral court and received votes in the AP Poll. The Green and Blue secured their eighth consecutive Atlantic Sun Tournament title to earn a 12-seed in the March Madness field. FGCU is the winningest 12th seed in NCAA Tournament history and took fifth-seeded Oklahoma to the wire, but ultimately fell 73-70 in Bloomington, Indiana.
The Eagles return ASUN Player, Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year in Emani Jefferson, while adding former two-time ASUN Defensive Player of the Year in Skyler Gill. Head coach Karl Smesko and company eye to build upon their 32-game home winning streak, the third-longest active home winning streak in the nation. The Eagles have also won 42 straight regular season conference games against current ASUN members.
Smesko has directed FGCU to 92 wins over the last three seasons, third most in women's college basketball behind only South Carolina (109) and UConn (94). In overall win percentage. FGCU (.845) has claimed the title as the winningest team in the history of Division I women's basketball.
Only FGCU and UConn have won 25 or more games over the last 14 seasons. FGCU does it with team speed and from behind-the-arc. The Eagles have knocked down 300 or more made threes for 15 straight years, leading the country in made threes in five out of the last seven seasons. FGCU set the NCAA record for the most made threes in a single season in 2018 by producing 431.
The high-flying Eagles tip off the 2024-25 season Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Davidson. The Eagles' home opener is Sunday, Nov. 17 against NJIT.
Tickets for the upcoming FGCU women's basketball season start at just $12 for general admission. This year, fans can create and select their own mini-plan of four-, six-, or nine-game packages starting at $44. For more information on single-game and season tickets, please click here or call the FGCU Ticket Office at 1-866-FGCU-TIX (866-324-8449).
