🏀 College Basketball Conference Tournament Guide 2026: Auto-Bid Tracker, Schedule & Odds
With Selection Sunday nearly here (March 15), our college basketball conference tournament guide highlights the key details for all 31 tournaments.
After 11 conference tournament championships yesterday, the final five automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament field of 68 are on the line today ahead of Selection Sunday at 6 p.m. ET (CBS).
With championship games on from noon until the bracket reveal, our college basketball conference tournament guide has you covered with the key details for every college basketball tournament ... from the Ivy League to the Big Ten.
๐ College basketball conference tournament schedule & odds
Conference tournament college basketball odds via our best March Madness betting sites.
| Conference | Dates | Championship game (time, TV) | Tournament favorite/winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivy League | March 14-15 | Sunday, March 15 (noon ET, ESPN2) | Yale (-465) |
| SEC | March 11-15 | Sunday, March 15 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN) | Vanderbilt (-144) |
| Atlantic 10 | March 11-15 | Sunday, March 15 (1 p.m. ET, CBS) | VCU (-176) |
| American | March 11-15 | Sunday, March 15 (3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) | South Florida (-250) |
| Big Ten | March 10-15 | Sunday, March 15 (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS) | Michigan (-300) |
| Ohio Valley | Tennessee State 93, Morehead State 67 | Tennessee State | |
| Missouri Valley | Northern Iowa 84, UIC 69 | Northern Iowa | |
| Big South | High Point 91, Winthrop 76 | High Point | |
| ASUN | Queens 98, Central Arkansas 93 (OT) | Queens | |
| Summit League | North Dakota State 70, North Dakota 62 | North Dakota State | |
| Sun Belt | Troy 77, Georgia Southern 61 | Troy | |
| SoCon | Furman 76, East Tennessee State 61 | Furman | |
| Horizon League | Wright State 66, Detroit Mercy 63 | Wright State | |
| Northeast | LIU 79, Mercyhurst 70 | LIU | |
| CAA | Hofstra 75, Monmouth 69 | Hofstra | |
| MAAC | Siena 64, Merrimack 54 | Siena | |
| West Coast | Gonzaga 79, Santa Clara 68 | Gonzaga | |
| Patriot League | Lehigh 74, Boston 60 | Lehigh | |
| Big Sky | Idaho 77, Montana 66 | Idaho | |
| Southland | McNeese 76, Stephen F. Austin 59 | McNeese | |
| America East | UMBC 74, Vermont 59 | UMBC | |
| MEAC | Howard 70, NC Central 63 | Howard | |
| Mountain West | Utah State 73, San Diego State 62 | Utah State | |
| Big 12 | Arizona 79, Houston 74 | Arizona | |
| Big East | St. John's 72, UConn 52 | St. John's | |
| SWAC | Prairie View A&M 72, Southern 66 | Prairie View A&M | |
| MAC | Akron 79, Toledo 76 | Akron | |
| Conference USA | Kennesaw State 71, Louisiana Tech 60 | Kennesaw State | |
| ACC | Duke 74, Virginia 70 | Duke | |
| Big West | Hawaii 71, UC Irvine 64 | Hawaii | |
| WAC | California Baptist 63, Utah Valley 61 | California Baptist |
๐ High-major conference tournaments
Don't miss out on our college basketball picks as conference tournaments get underway.
ACC Tournament (March 10-14)
- Champion: Duke
- Championship game: Duke 74, Virginia 70
- Location: Spectrum Center (Charlotte, N.C.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Big 12 Tournament (March 10-14)
- Champion: Arizona
- Championship game: Arizona 79, Houston 74
- Location: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, Mo.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Big East Tournament (Match 11-14)
- Champion: St. John's
- Championship game: St. John's 72, UConn 52
- Location: Madison Square Garden (New York City)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Big Ten Tournament (March 10-15)
- Location: United Center (Chicago)
- How to watch: CBS, Big Ten Network, NBCSN, Peacock
- Steaming: Fubo
- Championship game: Sunday, March 15 (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Defending champ: Michigan
- Tournament bracket: Here
SEC Tournament (March 11-15)
- Location: Bridgestone Arena (Nashville)
- How to watch: ESPN, SEC Network
- Steaming: Fubo
- Championship game: Sunday, March 15 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN)
- Defending champ: Florida
- Tournament bracket: Here
๐ Mid-major conference tournaments
There are 26 mid-major conference tournaments, with the winner of each earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
America East Tournament (March 7-11)
- Champion: UMBC
- Championship game: UMBC 74, Vermont 59
- Location: Higher seeds host
- Tournament bracket: Here
American Tournament (March 11-15)
- Location: Legacy Arena (Birmingham, Ala.)
- How to watch: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+
- Steaming: Fubo
- Championship game: Sunday, March 15 (3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
- Defending champ: Memphis
- Tournament bracket: Here
A10 Tournament (March 11-15)
- Location: PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh)
- How to watch: CBS, CBSSN, CNBC, USA
- Steaming: Fubo
- Championship game: Sunday, March 15 (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
- Defending champ: VCU
- Tournament bracket: Here
ASUN Tournament (March 4-8)
- Champion: Queens
- Championship game: Queens 98, Central Arkansas 93 (OT)
- Location: Swisher Gymnasium (Round 1)/VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena (Jacksonville, Fla.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Big Sky Tournament (March 7-11)
- Champion: Idaho
- Championship game: Idaho 77, Montana 66
- Location: Idaho Central Arena (Boise, Idaho)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Big South Tournament (March 4-8)
- Champion: High Point
- Championship game: High Point 91, Winthrop 76
- Location: Freedom Hall Civic Center (Johnson City, Tenn.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Big West Tournament (March 11-14)
- Champion: Hawaii
- Championship game: Hawaii 71, UC Irvine 64
- Location: Leeโs Family Forum (Henderson, Nev.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
CAA Tournament (March 6-10)
- Champion: Hofstra
- Championship game: Hofstra 75, Monmouth 69
- Location: CareFirst Arena (Washington, D.C.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Conference USA Tournament (March 10-14)
- Champion: Kennesaw State
- Championship game: Kennesaw State 71, Louisiana Tech 60
- Location: Propst Arena (Huntsville, Ala.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Horizon League Tournament (March 2-10)
- Champion: Wright State
- Championship game: Wright State 66, Detroit Mercy 63
- Location: Higher seeds host (play-in, Round 1)/Corteva Coliseum (Indianapolis)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Ivy League Tournament (March 14-15)
- Location: Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
- How to watch: ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS
- Steaming: Fubo
- Championship game: Sunday, March 15 (noon ET, ESPN2)
- Defending champ: Yale
- Tournament bracket: Here
MAAC Tournament (March 5-10)
- Champion: Siena
- Championship game: Siena 64, Merrimack 54
- Location: Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, N.J.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
MAC Tournament (March 12-14)
- Champion: Akron
- Championship game: Akron 79, Toledo 76
- Location: Rocket Arena (Cleveland)
- Tournament bracket: Here
MEAC Tournament (March 11-14)
- Champion: Howard
- Championship game: Howard 70, NC Central 63
- Location: Norfolk Scope Arena (Norfolk, Va.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Missouri Valley Tournament (March 5-8)
- Champion: Northern Iowa
- Championship game: Northern Iowa 84, UIC 69
- Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Mountain West Tournament (March 11-14)
- Champion: Utah State
- Championship game: Utah State 73, San Diego State 62
- Location: Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Northeast Tournament (March 4-10)
- Champion: LIU
- Championship game: LIU 79, Mercyhurst 70
- Location: Higher seeds host
- Tournament bracket: Here
Ohio Valley Tournament (March 4-7)
- Champion: Tennessee State
- Championship game: Tennessee State 93, Morehead State 67
- Location: Ford Center (Evansville, Ind.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Patriot League Tournament (March 3-11)
- Champion: Lehigh
- Championship game: Lehigh 74, Boston 60
- Location: Higher seeds host
- Tournament bracket: Here
SoCon Tournament (March 6-9)
- Champion: Furman
- Championship game: Furman 76, East Tennessee State 61
- Location: Harrahโs Cherokee Center (Asheville, N.C.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Southland Tournament (March 8-11)
- Champion: McNeese
- Championship game: McNeese 76, Stephen F. Austin 59
- Location: Townsley Law Arena (Lake Charles, La.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
SWAC Tournament (March 9-14)
- Champion: Prairie View A&M
- Championship game: Prairie View A&M 72, Southern 66
- Location: Gateway Center Arena (Atlanta)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Summit League Tournament (March 4-8)
- Champion: North Dakota State
- Championship game: North Dakota State 70, North Dakota 62
- Location: Denny Sanford Premier Center (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
Sun Belt Tournament (March 3-9)
- Champion: Troy
- Championship game: Troy 77, Georgia Southern 61
- Location: Pensacola Bay Center (Pensacola, Fla.)
- Tournament bracket: Here
West Coast Tournament (March 5-10)
- Champion: Gonzaga
- Championship game: Gonzaga 79, Santa Clara 68
- Location: Orleans Arena (Las Vegas)
- Tournament bracket: Here
WAC Tournament (March 11-14)
- Champion: California Baptist
- Championship game: California Baptist 63, Utah Valley 61
- Location: Orleans Arena (Las Vegas)
- Tournament bracket: Here
๐๏ธ Who's in March Madness? 2026 automatic bids
Conference tournament champions that earn automatic bids will be updated as conference tournaments conclude (seed projections via Bracket Matrix).
| Conference | 2026 champion (auto bid) | Projected NCAA Tournament seed |
|---|---|---|
| America East | UMBC | No. 16 |
| American | TBD | TBD |
| ASUN | Queens | No. 15 |
| A10 | TBD | TBD |
| ACC | Duke | No. 1 |
| Big 12 | Arizona | No. 1 |
| Big East | St. John's | No. 5 |
| Big Sky | Idaho | No. 15 |
| Big South | High Point | No. 12 |
| Big Ten | TBD | TBD |
| Big West | Hawaii | No. 13 |
| CAA | Hofstra | No. 13 |
| Conference USA | Kennesaw State | No. 14 |
| Horizon League | Wright State | No. 14 |
| Ivy League | TBD | TBD |
| MAAC | Siena | No. 15 |
| MAC | Akron | No. 12 |
| MEAC | Howard | No. 16 |
| Missouri Valley | Northern Iowa | No. 13 |
| Mountain West | Utah State | No. 8 |
| Northeast | LIU | No. 16 |
| Ohio Valley | Tennessee State | No. 16 |
| Patriot League | Lehigh | No. 16 |
| SEC | TBD | TBD |
| SoCon | Furman | No. 15 |
| Southland | McNeese | No. 12 |
| SWAC | Prairie View A&M | No. 16 |
| Summit League | North Dakota State | No. 14 |
| Sun Belt | Troy | No. 14 |
| West Coast | Gonzaga | No. 3 |
| WAC | California Baptist | No. 13 |
โ College basketball conference tournament FAQs
When does the ACC Tournament start?
The ACC Tournament begins with the first round on March 10. The second round is March 11, the quarterfinals are March 12, the semifinals are March 13, and the championship game is March 14 (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
When does the Big 12 Tournament start?
The Big 12 Tournament begins with the first round on March 10. The second round is March 11, the quarterfinals are March 12, the semifinals are March 13, and the championship game is March 14 (6 p.m. ET, ESPN).
When does the Big East Tournament start?
The Big East Tournament begins with the first round on March 11. The quarterfinals are March 12, the semifinals are March 13, and the championship game is March 14 (6:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
When does the Big Ten Tournament start?
The Big Ten Tournament begins with the first round on March 10. The second round is March 11, the third round is March 12, the quarterfinals are March 13, the semifinals are March 14, and the championship game is March 15 (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).
When does the SEC Tournament start?
The SEC Tournament begins with the first round on March 11. The second round is March 12, the quarterfinals are March 13, the semifinals are March 14, and the championship game is March 15 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN).
How many automatic bids are there in March Madness?
There are 31 conference tournaments, with the winner of each receiving an automatic bid into March Madness. However, the NCAA Tournament field consists of 68 teams, with 37 at-large bids being selected by the committee alongside the 31 automatic bids.
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