2026 NCAA Tournament Berth Tracker: Automatic Bids, Championship Game Times, and Defending Champs

Conference tournaments are underway and March Madness has officially arrived. Teams that win their conference tournaments clinch automatic bids into the 2026 NCAA Tournament, which begins with the First Four on Tuesday, March 17. 

Bookmark this page — OutKick will update as automatic berths are locked up through Selection Sunday.

Last updated: Sunday, March 8, 2026 (5:30 p.m. ET). All times ET.

Selection Sunday

The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. on CBS.

Automatic Bids Clinched (5)

ASUN: Queens 
Big South: High Point
Missouri Valley (MVC): Northern Iowa
Northeast (NEC): Long Island (LIU)
Ohio Valley (OVC): Tennessee State

University of Northern Iowa Panthers guard Geon Hutchins kisses the MVC Tournament trophy. (Ron Johnson/Imagn Images)

Completed Conference Tournaments

Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)
Championship: Saturday, March 7
Tennessee State def. Morehead State, 93-67

Big South Conference (Big South)
Championship: Sunday, March 8
High Point def. Winthrop, 91-76

Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)
Championship: Sunday, March 8
Northern Iowa def. UIC, 84-69

Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN)
Championship: Sunday, March 8
Queens def. Central Arkansas, 98-93 (OT)

Upcoming Championship Game Schedule 

*All times ET

Summit League (Summit)
Championship: Sunday, March 8, 9 p.m. (CBSSN) — Denny Sanford PREMIER Center (Sioux Falls, SD)
No. 1 North Dakota St. Bison vs. No. 3 North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Sun Belt Conference (Sun Belt)
Championship: Monday, March 9, 6 p.m. (ESPN2) — Pensacola Bay Center (Pensacola, FL)
2025 champion: Troy

Southern Conference (SoCon)
Championship: Monday, March 9, 7 p.m. (ESPN) — Harrah’s Cherokee Center (Asheville, NC)
2025 champion: Wofford

Coastal Athletic Association (CAA)
Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 7 p.m. (CBSSN) — CareFirst Arena (Washington, DC)
2025 champion: UNC Wilmington

Horizon League (Horizon)
Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 7 p.m. (ESPN) — Corteva Coliseum (Indianapolis, IN)
2025 champion: Robert Morris

Northeast Conference (NEC)
Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 7 p.m. (ESPN2) — Steinberg Wellness Center (LIU Campus)
No. 1 LIU vs. No. 3 Mercyhurst 
*NOTE: LIU clinches automatic bid regardless of result (Mercyhurst is ineligible for NCAA Tournament)

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)
Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 9 p.m. (ESPN2) — Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, NJ)
2025 champion: Mount St. Mary’s

West Coast Conference (WCC)
Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 9 p.m. (ESPN) — Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
2025 champion: Gonzaga

Southland Conference (Southland)
Championship: Wednesday, March 11, 5 p.m. (ESPN2) — The Legacy Center (Lake Charles, LA)
2025 champion: McNeese

Patriot League (Patriot)
Championship: Wednesday, March 11, 7 p.m. (CBSSN) — campus site (higher seed hosts)
No. 2 Lehigh Mountain Hawks vs. No. 4 Boston University Terriers

Big Sky Conference (Big Sky)
Championship: Wednesday, March 11, 11:30 p.m. (ESPN2) — Idaho Central Arena (Boise, ID)
2025 champion: Montana

Western Athletic Conference (WAC)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 12 a.m. (ESPN2) — Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
2025 champion: Grand Canyon

America East Conference (America East)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 11 a.m. (ESPN2) — campus site (higher seed hosts)
2025 champion: Bryant

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 1 p.m. (ESPN2) — Norfolk Scope Arena (Norfolk, VA)
2025 champion: Norfolk State

Big 12 Conference (Big 12)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 6 p.m. (ESPN) — T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, MO)
2025 champion: Houston

Mountain West Conference (MWC)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 6 p.m. (CBS) — Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, NV)
2025 champion: Colorado State

Big East Conference (Big East)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 6:30 p.m. (FOX) — Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
2025 champion: St. John’s

Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU) — Gateway Center Arena (Atlanta, GA)
2025 champion: Alabama State

Mid-American Conference (MAC)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 8 p.m. (ESPN2) — Rocket Arena (Cleveland, OH)
2025 champion: Akron

Conference USA (C-USA)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 8:30 p.m. (CBSSN) — Propst Arena (Huntsville, AL)
2025 champion: Liberty

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) — Spectrum Center (Charlotte, NC)
2025 champion: Duke

Big West Conference (Big West)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 10 p.m. (ESPN2) — Lee’s Family Forum (Henderson, NV)
2025 champion: UC San Diego

Ivy League (Ivy)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 12 p.m. (ESPN2) — Newman Arena at Bartels Hall (Ithaca, NY)
2025 champion: Yale

Atlantic 10 Conference (A10)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 1 p.m. (CBS) — PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh, PA)
2025 champion: VCU

Southeastern Conference (SEC)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 1 p.m. (ESPN) — Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN)
2025 champion: Florida

American Athletic Conference (AAC)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 3:15 p.m. (ESPN) — Legacy Arena at the BJCC (Birmingham, AL)
2025 champion: Memphis

Big Ten Conference (Big Ten)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 3:30 p.m. (CBS) — United Center (Chicago, IL)
2025 champion: Michigan