The first automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament has been punched. No. 2 seed Long Island University defeated No. 7 seed Wagner 64-56 in the NEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday to advance to Sunday’s conference title game. However, because No. 3 seed Mercyhurst is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to being in the transition period, LIU will receive the automatic bid from the Northeast, even if it loses in the conference title game.
Mercyhurst defeated Stonehill earlier in the day to advance to the conference title game. Mercyhurst isn’t eligible for the NCAA Tournament until the four-year Division I transition period is over, which means the soonest it could go to the Big Dance or the NIT would be during the 2028-29 season.
LIU finished with the best record (15-3) in conference play and earned the No. 1 seed in the NEC Tournament this week. This will be LIU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018, when it lost to Radford in the First Four. LIU has never won an NCAA Tournament game.
Bracketology Bubble Watch: Inside the NCAA Tournament at-large implications for 16 teams in action Saturday
David Cobb
The other automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that will be clinched later in the day will be in the Ohio Valley Conference. No. 1 seed Tennessee State cruised to a 68-55 win over UT Martin to advance to the OVC Tournament title game. Tennessee State, coached by former Duke star Nolan Smith, will face Morehead State in the conference title game.
On Sunday, No. 1 seed Navy will face Boston University in the Patriot League semifinals on CBS Sports Network. On the other side of the bracket, Colgate will face No. 2 seed Lehigh.
One of the conferences that will begin its respective tournament on Saturday is the Big Sky. The opening round matchups, Northern Arizona vs. Idaho State and Idaho vs. Sacramento State, will kick off the tournament. Northern Colorado, Montana, Weber State and Eastern Washington all earned double-byes and will begin postseason play on Monday.
When conference tournament results roll in, we’ll be keeping track of them here as teams begin to claim automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. The first tickets to the NCAA Tournament will be punched this weekend.
Saturday’s conference tournaments
| America East |
Higher seed hosts |
First round |
Scoreboard |
| ASUN |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
Semifinals |
Scoreboard |
| Big Sky |
Boise, Idaho |
First round |
Scoreboard |
| Big South |
Johnson City, Tenn. |
Semifinals |
Scoreboard |
| CAA |
Washington, D.C. |
Second round |
Scoreboard |
| MAAC |
Atlantic City, N.J. |
Quarterfinals |
Scoreboard |
| Northeast |
Higher seed hosts |
Semifinals |
Scoreboard |
| Ohio Valley |
Evansville, Ind. |
Final |
Scoreboard |
| SoCon |
Asheville, N.C. |
Quarterfinals |
Scoreboard |
| Summit League |
Sioux Falls, S.D. |
Semifinals |
Scoreboard |
| Sun Belt |
Pensacola, Fla. |
Fifth round |
Scoreboard |
| West Coast |
Las Vegas |
Third round |
Scoreboard |
2025-26 conference tournament champions
| CONFERENCE |
DATES |
LOCATION |
CHAMPIONSHIP (TV) / CHAMPION |
| America East |
March 7, 10, 14 |
Higher seed hosts |
March 14, 11 a.m. ESPN2 |
| American |
March 11-15 |
Birmingham, Ala. |
March 15, 3:15 p.m. ESPN |
| Atlantic 10 |
March 11-15 |
Pittsburgh, Pa. |
March 15, 1 p.m. CBS |
| ACC |
March 10-14 |
Charlotte, N.C. |
March 14, 8:30 p.m. ESPN |
| ASUN |
March 4,6-8 |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
March 8, 2 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Big 12 |
March 10-14 |
Kansas City, Mo. |
March 14, 6 p.m. ESPN |
| Big East |
March 11-14 |
New York City |
March 14, 6:30 p.m. Fox |
| Big Sky |
March 7-11 |
Boise, Idaho |
March 11, 11:30 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Big South |
March 4, 6-8 |
Johnson City, Tenn. |
March 8, 12 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Big Ten |
March 10-15 |
Chicago |
March 15, 3:30 p.m. CBS |
| Big West |
March 11-14 |
Henderson, Nev. |
March 14, 10 p.m. ESPN2 |
| CAA |
March 6-10 |
Washington, D.C. |
March 10, 7 p.m. CBS Sports Network |
| Conference USA |
March 10-14 |
Huntsville, Ala. |
March 14, 8:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network |
| Horizon League |
March 2,4,8-10 |
Indianapolis |
March 10, 7 p.m. ESPN |
| Ivy League |
March 14-15 |
Ithaca, N.Y. |
March 15, 12 p.m. ESPN2 |
| MAAC |
March 5-10 |
Atlantic City, N.J. |
March 10, 9 p.m. ESPN2 |
| MAC |
March 12-14 |
Cleveland |
March 14, 8 p.m. ESPN2 |
| MEAC |
March 11-14 |
Norfolk, Va. |
March 14, 1 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Missouri Valley |
March 5-8 |
St. Louis |
March 8, 12 p.m. CBS |
| Mountain West |
March 11-14 |
Las Vegas |
March 14, 6 p.m. CBS |
| Northeast |
March 4,7,10 |
Higher seed hosts |
March 10, 7 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Ohio Valley |
March 4-7 |
Evansville, Ind. |
March 7, 8 p.m. ESPN2 |
| Patriot League |
March 3,5,8,11 |
Higher seed hosts |
March 11, 7 p.m. CBS Sports Network |
| SEC |
March 11-15 |
Nashville, Tenn. |
March 15, 1 p.m. ESPN |
| SoCon |
March 6-9 |
Asheville, N.C. |
March 9, 7 p.m. ESPN |
| Southland |
March 8-11 |
Lake Charles, La. |
March 11, 5 p.m. ESPN2 |
| SWAC |
March 9-14 |
Atlanta |
March 14, 7:30 p.m. ESPNU |
| Summit League |
March 4-8 |
Sioux Falls, S.D. |
March 8, 9 p.m. CBS Sports Network |
| Sun Belt |
March 3-9 |
Pensacola, Fla. |
March 9, 6 p.m. ESPN2 |
| West Coast |
March 5-10 |
Las Vegas |
March 10, 9 p.m. ESPN |
| WAC |
March 11-14 |
Las Vegas |
March 14, 12 a.m. ESPN2 |
