Selection Sunday

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NCAA staff | March 7, 2026

Tracking 31 NCAA men's basketball conference tournaments, auto bids for 2026 March Madness

The most WHOLESOME moments in recent March Madness history

Of the 68 teams that will compete in the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament, 31 of those will qualify automatically through conference tournaments. All eligible teams that win their conference tournaments receive an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. 

LIU earned the first automatic bid of the 2026 NCAA tournament after defeating Wagner in the Northeast Conference semifinals. LIU still must play Mercyhurst in the NEC finals on March 10, but Mercyhurst is not eligible for the NCAA tournament, giving the Sharks the NEC auto-bid in this rare March Madness circumstance. 

Below, find a table listing all 31 DI men's basketball conferences, tournament dates, locations and bracket information. The other 37 spots in March Madness will be filled up by at-large teams as chosen by the selection committee. Find all 31 automatic qualifiers below. 

BRACKET: Print out the 2026 March Madness bracket now

2026 NCAA conference tournament schedules, bracket, scores, automatic bids

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE/RESULTS/TV SCHEDULE Automatic bid LOCATION

Quarterfinals: March 7
Semifinals: March 10
Championship: 11 a.m. ET March 14 on ESPN2

  Higher seed hosts

First Round: March 11
Second Round: March 12
Quarterfinals: March 13
Semifinals: March 14
Championship: 3:15 p.m. March 15 on ESPN

  Birmingham, Ala.

First Round: March 11
Second Round: March 12
Quarterfinals: March 13
Semifinals: March 14
Championship: 1 p.m. March 15 on CBS

  Pittsburgh, Pa.

First Round: March 10
Second Round: March 11
Quarterfinals: March 12
Semifinals: March 13
Championship: 8:30 p.m. March 14 on ESPN

  Charlotte, N.C.
First Round: March 4
Quarterfinals: March 6
Semifinals: March 7
Championship: 2 p.m. March 8 on ESPN2
  Jacksonville, Fla.
First Round: March 10
Second Round: March 11
Quarterfinals: March 12
Semifinals: March 13
Championship: 6 p.m. March 14 on ESPN
  Kansas City, Mo.

First round: March 11
Quarterfinals: March 12
Semifinals: March 13
Championship: 6:30 p.m. March 14 on FOX

  New York City
First Round: March 7
Second Round: March 8
Quarterfinals: March 9
Semifinals: March 10
Championship: 11:30 p.m. March 11 on ESPN2
  Boise, Idaho

First Round: March 4
Quarterfinals: March 6
Semifinals: March 7
Championship: 12 p.m. March 8 on ESPN2

  Johnson City, Tenn.
First Round: March 10
Second Round: March 11
Third Round: March 12
Quarterfinals: March 13
Semifinals: March 14 
Championship: 3:30 p.m. March 15 on CBS
  Chicago
First Round: March 11
Quarterfinals: March 12
Semifinals: March 13
Championship: March 14
  Henderson, Nev.
First Round: March 6
Second Round: March 7
Quarterfinals: March 8
Semifinals: March 9
Championship: 7 p.m. March 10 on CBSSN
  Washington, D.C.
First Round: March 10
Quarterfinals: March 11 and 12
Semifinals: March 13
Championship: 8:30 p.m. March 14 on CBSSN
  Huntsville, Ala.
Play-in: March 2
First Round: March 4
Second Round: March 8
Semifinals: March 9
Championship: 7 p.m. March 10 on ESPN
  Higher seed hosts first three rounds, Indianapolis for last two rounds 

 
Semifinals: March 14
Championship: 12 p.m. March 15 on ESPN2
  Ithaca, N.Y. 
First Round: March 5
Quarterfinals: March 6 and 7
Semifinals: March 8
Championship: March 10 on ESPN/ESPN2
  Atlantic City, N.J.

Quarterfinals: March 12
Semifinals: March 13
Championship: 8 p.m. March 14 on ESPN2
  Cleveland, Ohio
Quarterfinals: March 11 and 12
Semifinals: March 13
Championship: March 14
  Norfolk, Va.
First Round: March 5
Quarterfinals: March 6
Semifinals: March 7
Championship: 12 p.m. March 8 on CBS Sports
  St. Louis
First Round: March 11
Quarterfinals: March 12
Semifinals: March 13
Championship: 6 p.m. March 14 on CBS
  Las Vegas
Quarterfinals: March 4
Semifinals: March 7
Championship: 7 p.m. March 10 on ESPN2/ESPN+
LIU Higher seed hosts
First Round: March 4
Quarterfinals: March 5
Semifinals: March 6
Championship: 9 p.m. March 7 on ESPN2
Tennessee State Evansville, Ind.
First Round: March 3
Quarterfinals: March 5
Semifinals: March 8
Championship: March 11
  Higher seed hosts
First Round: March 11
Second Round: March 12
Quarterfinals: March 13
Semifinals: March 14
Championship: 1 p.m. March 15 on ESPN
  Nashville, Tenn.

First Round: March 6
Quarterfinals: March 7
Semifinals: March 8
Championship: 7 p.m. March 9

  Asheville, N.C.
First Round: March 8
Quarterfinals: March 9
Semifinals: March 10
Championship: 5 p.m. March 11 on ESPN2
  Lake Charles, La.
First Round: March 9
Second Round: March 10
Quarterfinals: March 11 and 12
Semifinals: March 13
Championship: 7:30 p.m. March 14
  Atlanta
Opening Round: March 4
Quarterfinals: March 5 and 6 
Semifinals: March 7
Championship: 9 p.m. March 8 on CBSSN
  Sioux Falls, S.D.

First Round: March 3
Second Round: March 4
Third Round: March 5
Fourth Round: March 6
Quarterfinals: March 7
Semifinals: March 8
Championship: 6 p.m. March 9 on ESPN/ESPN

  Pensacola, Fla.

 
First Round: March 5
Second Round: March 6
Third Round: March 7
Quarterfinals: March 8
Semifinals: March 9
Championship: 9 p.m. March 10
  Las Vegas
First Round: March 11
Quarterfinals: March 12
Semifinals: March 13
Championship: March 14
  Las Vegas
  This year's bracket will be revealed at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15 on CBS.
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