Selection Sunday for the 2026 NCAA Tournament is just a week away, but we’ve teams are already booking their places in March Madness.
Each of the 31 conference tournament champions earns an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament, with the other 37 spots awarded to at-large participants by the tournament’s selection committee.
For the overwhelming majority of mid- and low-major leagues, the automatic berth from winning the conference tournament is the league’s only bid.
Because Mercyhurst reached the NEC Tournament final and isn’t eligible for NCAA tournament play because of its transition from Division II, Long Island gets the automatic bid regardless of the result in Tuesday’s championship game.
The OVC automatic bid will be decided Saturday night with No. 1 seed Tennessee State facing No. 2 seed Morehead State at 9 p.m.
Here’s a look at the champions of each of the 31 conference tournaments, all of which are on their way to the NCAA Tournament.
March Madness automatic bids: Who has clinched 2026 NCAA tournament spots?
- America East:
- ACC:
- ASUN:
- Atlantic 10:
- Big 12:
- Big East:
- Big Sky:
- Big South:
- Big Ten:
- Big West:
- CAA:
- Conference USA:
- Horizon League:
- Ivy League:
- MAAC:
- MAC:
- MEAC:
- Missouri Valley:
- Mountain West:
- Northeast: Long Island
- Ohio Valley: Tennessee State or Morehead State
- Patriot League:
- SEC:
- SoCon:
- Southland:
- SWAC:
- Summit League:
- Sun Belt:
- WAC:
- West Coast:
What day does March Madness start?
The NCAA tournament First Four on the men’s side begins on Tuesday, March 17 and continues on Wednesday, March 18.
The four men’s games, which are held in Dayton, Ohio, feature the final four at-large selections to the field, as well as the four lowest-rated No. 16 seeds. The winner of each matchup advances to the first round. First-round games will take place on March 19 and March 20.
When is Selection Sunday?
- Date: Sunday, March 15
Selection Sunday for the 2025-26 college basketball season will take place on Sunday, March 15, with both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament brackets being revealed.
