CollegeInsider.com Establishes Women's Mid-Major Top 25

BOSTON, Mass. -- Over a decade after creating the Mid-Major Top 25 for division I men's basketball, CollegeInsider.com has joined forces with the Atlantic Sun Conference to establish the women's Mid-Major Top 25. 

"We are very excited to be working with the Atlantic Sun to help bring attention to deserving women's college basketball programs," said CollegeInsider.com co-founder Angela Lento. "This is something we have been looking at for a few years and after the creation of the Kay Yow Award this past season we felt the timing was perfect."

CollegeInsider.com established the men's Mid-Major Top 25 in 1999 for the purpose of recognizing smaller schools throughout the regular season. Now entering its' twelfth season of existence, the men's Mid-Major Top 25 has become the measuring stick for programs outside of the proverbial power conferences. 

This past season the top four teams in the final regular season men's Mid-Major Top 25 all advanced to the Sweet 16 (Butler, Cornell, Northern Iowa, St. Mary's). Butler, which advanced to the National Championship game against Duke, was ranked No. 1 for most of the regular season.

"This is exciting for women's college basketball," said Liberty head coach Carey Green who will serve on the 31-member voting panel. "The women's Mid-Major Top 25 will provide great recognition and awareness for many exceptional women's basketball programs that have existed in the shadows for so many years."

The women's Mid-Major Top 25 will be comprised of teams from America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Great West, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt and West Coast Conference.

"I appreciate the efforts of CollegeInsider.com to create the women's basketball Mid-Major Top 25 poll," said Florida Gulf Coast head coach Karl Smesko who will serve as the chairman of the voting panel. "Some of the most exciting and entertaining styles are played at the mid-major level and it is great that the poll recognizes programs who truly make the best of their resources. I look forward to being a part of the voting process."

The Atlantic Sun Conference will help to administer the voting proves for the women's Mid-Major Top 25, which will be released every Tuesday throughout the 2010-11 season.  The preseason poll will be released on Oct. 26. 

This past season CollegeInsider.com established the Kay Yow Award, which is given annually to the top division I women's head coach who embodies a winning spirit and also displays great character both on and off the court.

WOMEN'S MID-MAJOR TOP 25 VOTING PANEL

Joan Bonivici (Seattle), Brian Boyer (Arkansas State), Tony Bozzella (Iona), Kristin Caruso (Longwood), Beth Couture (Butler), Ed Davis (Delaware State), Denise Dillon (Longwood), Brooks Donald Williams (McNeese State), Jim Flanery (Creighton), Beckie Francis (Oakland), Stephanie Gaitley (Monmouth), Bill Gibbons (Holy Cross), Carey Green (Liberty), Aaron Johnston (South Dakota State), Lori Jones (Southeastern Louisiana), Tasha McDowell (Western Michigan), Lynn Milligan (Rider), Faith Mimnaugh (Cal Poly), Jennifer Mountain (Santa Clara), Cathy Nixon (Utah Valley), Autumn Rademacher (Detroit), Brady Sallee (Eastern Illinois), Michele Savage (Davidson), Sandy Simpson (UC Davis), Karl Smesko (Florida Gulf Coast), Dayna Smith (Cornell), Phil Stern (UMBC), Colby Tilley (Kennesaw State), Sue Troyan (Lehigh), Altherias Warmley (Alabama A&M), Jamie White (Northern Colorado)