SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 25, 2025) – Both the Western New England men's and women's basketball teams have earned placements in the top 25 of their respective sports polls to end the season after their historic runs in the NCAA Tournament. Men's basketball ranks inside the top 25 of the D3hoops.com poll for the first time in program history, while women's basketball returns to the top 25 of the WBCA poll to end the year. 

WNE men's basketball came up with a 23-7 record this season, falling in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Championships to eventual national champion Trinity College. The Golden Bears sit 22^nd overall in the D3hoops.com top 25 poll to close out the 2024-2025 season, their first time sitting inside the top 25 in program history. The Golden Bears captured the Conference of New England championship this season with a 75-74 win over Suffolk University, claiming their first title in Conference of New England (CNE) (Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC)) history. Western New England men's basketball would then move on to the NCAA Championships after receiving an automatic bid into the event. The Golden Bears would win their first game in the big dance in program history with an 83-73 win over Hamilton College. WNE would not be done, coming up with a win in the second round of the championships with a win over Montclair State University, a 79-61 victory to advance to the Sweet 16 round before bowing out to Trinity College, who won the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball title this season over New York University. Western New England men's basketball joins Nichols College ('22-'23, '18-'19) and Endicott College ('16-'17) as the only three teams to make it to the NCAA Championships Sweet 16 round in the last 20 seasons. 

The Western New England women's basketball team re-entered the WBCA poll after completing a 25-4 season overall. The Golden Bears end their 2024-2025 campaign ranked 25^th overall in the poll. WNE also won their first game in an NCAA Championship game this season, defeating Tufts University 61-52. WNE women's basketball would fall in the second round of the tournament to Gettysburg College. Gettysburg would reach the elite eight round in the tournament before dropping a decision to New York University, the eventual national champion.  WNE women's basketball is the first team from the CNE/CCC to reach the second round of the championships since 2019-2020 and just the third team over the last ten seasons to get out of the first round with a victory. This season, Western New England is the only team in the Conference of New England to be ranked in the top 25 of the WBCA poll. WNE is also receiving votes to end the season in the D3hoops.com poll, again, the only team from the CNE to be receiving votes.