March Madness: Your guide to the rest of the men's conference basketball tournaments
March Madness: Your guide to the rest of the men's conference basketball tournaments
Nick BrombergMon, March 9, 2026 at 2:51 PM UTC
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The second week of the conference tournament season is here.
After 15 conferences began their tournaments a week ago, the rest of college basketball gets going the week before Selection Sunday. With title games happening all week and power conferences getting their tournaments underway, it's a week of March that rivals the days the NCAA tournament occupies.
Here's what you for the 16 tournaments that didn't begin in the first week of March.
Conferences: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | SEC | Southland | SWAC | C-USA | American | A10 | Big West | MEAC | MWC | WAC | MAC | Ivy
Southland -
Begins: Sunday
Championship game: 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, ESPN2
How it works
Just eight of the league’s 12 teams make the conference tournament. Incarnate Word, Lamar, East Texas A&M and Southeast Louisiana did not make the field. From there, seeds Nos. 5-8 play first-round games and the winners play seed Nos. 3 and 4. Top seed Stephen F Austin and No. 2 seed McNeese have byes to the semifinals.
The favorites
The Lumberjacks and Cowboys are the clear top two in the league. SFA won the Southland with a 20-2 conference record, while McNeese was a game back at 19-3. UT Rio Grande Valley finished third in the conference and was five games back of McNeese.
The top two split their season series, too. McNeese got a 66-64 win at home before Stephen F. Austin won 67-60 on its home court.
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SWAC -
Begins: Monday
Championship game: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPNU
How it works
The top six teams in the 12-team league got byes to the quarterfinals. The bottom four teams play in the first round, before seeds No. 7 and 8 are introduced in the second round.
The favorites
Bethune-Cookman won the SWAC with a 14-4 record and finished three games ahead of Florida A&M and Southern. Don’t be surprised if there’s an upset or two based on the seedings. The teams seeded from No. 2 through No. 8 in the tournament all finished within a game of each other and the No. 9 seed was just two games back of second. This is an incredibly even league.
Cameron Boozer and Duke are the prohibitive favorites to win the ACC tournament. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) (Jared C. Tilton via Getty Images)ACC
Begins: Tuesday
Championship game: 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN
How it works
The entire 18-team league does not get to go to Greensboro. Sorry Notre Dame, Boston College and Georgia Tech, you’re not playing in the conference tournament. The Eagles and Yellow Jackets have already made coaching changes too, with Earl Grant out at BC and Damon Stoudamire fired at Georgia Tech.
Seed Nos. 10 through 15 play in the first round, before seed Nos. 5 through 9 start play in the second round. The top four seeds got double byes to the quarterfinals, and Duke and North Carolina will meet in a semifinal on Friday if they each win their quarterfinal games.
The favorites
Duke is the obvious choice here after going 17-1 in conference play. The Blue Devils’ only loss came at North Carolina, and Duke avenged that to close out the regular season at home. Cameron Boozer has been the best player in the country, though Duke’s depth could be tested in the ACC tournament with injuries to Patrick Ngongba II and Caleb Foster.
Virginia got the No. 2 seed and finished two games ahead of No. 3 Miami. The Cavaliers lost to Duke by 26 points in their regular-season matchup. Duke and Miami did not play each other.
Big 12 -
Begins: Tuesday
Championship game: 6:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN
How it works
We’ve got ourselves a relatively straightforward 16-team tournament. The bottom half of the league plays in the first round on Tuesday, before seed Nos. 5-8 join in the second round. The top four teams in the league got byes to the quarterfinals.
The favorites
This tournament could be really, really fun. Iowa State is a potential top-three seed in the NCAA tournament and got the No. 5 seed in the conference. The Cyclones will play No. 4 Texas Tech with a second-round win. The Red Raiders have stayed afloat after losing star JT Toppin to a torn ACL.
Arizona and Houston are the top two seeds with Kansas lurking as the No. 3 seed. The Wildcats are a near lock for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and have beaten both Houston and Kansas in recent weeks. Arizona will only have to face one or the other if it makes the Big 12 title game.
BYU and star freshman AJ Dybantsa will have to make a long run to win the tournament. The Cougars snapped a three-game losing streak in their regular-season finale with a win over Texas Tech, but finished conference play at 9-9 after a 4-0 start.
Michigan is a favorite to win the NCAA tournament. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) (Aaron J. Thornton via Getty Images)Big Ten -
Begins: Tuesday
Championship game: 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
How it works
An 18-team tournament is a bear. We’ll try to explain succinctly.
The bottom four teams play in two first-round games while teams seeded Nos. 9 through 14 get byes to the second round. The winners of the four second-round games will play seed Nos. 5 through 8 in the third round.
The top four teams in the conference receive byes to the quarterfinals on Friday and have to win only three games to win the tournament. If you’re a team like Northwestern, the No. 15 seed, you have to win six games in six days to earn the conference’s automatic berth.
The favorites
Michigan easily won the league and is not only a favorite for the Big Ten title but the national title. Nebraska locked up the No. 2 seed with a win over Iowa on Sunday and Michigan State is the No. 3 after losing to Michigan to end the regular season. No. 4 Illinois eked out a win at Maryland to get the last double-bye over Wisconsin.
Purdue, the No. 1 team in the preseason AP Top 25, is the No. 7 seed. The Boilermakers went just 13-6 in league play and lost three times in Big Ten play at Mackey Arena.
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Conference USA -
Begins: Tuesday
Championship game: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, CBS Sports Network
How it works
The bottom four teams in the 10-team league play in the first round, while the top six seeds get byes to the quarterfinals. The tourney winner will have to win at least three games.
The favorites
Liberty ran away with the league as the Flames finished 17-3 in conference play. Sam Houston was four games back, while Western Kentucky, Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee each finished six games behind the Flames. Liberty is looking for back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the first time in school history as it searches for its first NCAA tournament win.
American -
Begins: Wednesday
Championship game: 3:15 p.m. ET Sunday, ESPN
How it works
Just 10 of the league’s 13 teams play for the conference title. Rice, East Carolina and UTSA have missed out on the postseason and the American’s format has deprived us of the chance of a UTSA team going 1-16 in conference play making a dramatic run in the tournament.
The stepladder bracket heavily favors the top two teams. They get byes to the semifinals, while seeds Nos. 7 through 10 must win four games to get to the championship game.
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The favorites
South Florida won the league by two games over Tulsa and Wichita State, while UAB finished four games back in fourth. The Blazers are an interesting sleeper case. They are 10-2 on the road this season and just 8-9 at home. Will they thrive on a neutral court and be a threat to upset the Bulls?
Atlantic 10 -
Begins: Wednesday
Championship game: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS
How it works
The bottom four teams in the 14-team league play in the first round, before seeds Nos. 5 through 10 join in the second round. The top four teams have byes to the quarterfinals.
The favorites
Saint Louis is the top seed in the conference tournament after tying VCU for the regular season title at 15-3 in A-10 play. Saint Joseph’s finished two games back in third while Dayton was three games back.
VCU is on the NCAA tournament bubble and can assuage all those fears with a tournament win. If the Rams don’t win it, they’ll want Saint Louis to get the league’s automatic bid. A team like Saint Joseph’s or Dayton winning the A-10 tournament could kick VCU out of the field.
Will UConn and St. John's meet in the Big East title game at Madison Square Garden? (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) ()Big East -
Begins: Wednesday
Championship game: 6:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Fox
How it works
The 11-team league has its bottom six teams play in the first round. The top five seeds have byes to the quarterfinals, as the matchup between No. 5 Creighton and No. 4 Seton Hall is already set.
The favorites
St. John’s has the top seed after winning the regular season title by a game over UConn. The Huskies may need a tournament title to have any chance at getting a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Anything less could mean a No. 2 seed for Dan Hurley’s team. Villanova is the No. 3 seed but the Wildcats lost both of their matchups to the Red Storm and Huskies this season.
Big West -
Begins: Wednesday
Championship game: 10 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN2
How it works
The eight-team bracket from the 11-team league gives double-byes to the top two teams. The bottom four teams in the league play in the first round, while No. 3 seed Cal State Fullerton and No. 4 seed Cal State Northridge join in the quarterfinals. UC Irvine and Hawaii just need to win two games to make the NCAA tournament.
The favorites
The Anteaters won the league by a game over Hawaii and there was a three-way tie for third. UC San Diego was the team on the wrong side of that tiebreaker; the Tritons have to win four games to make the NCAA tournament.
All eight teams in the conference tournament finished within five games of UC Irvine. Could someone like UC Davis or UC Santa Barbara make a run?
MEAC -
Begins: Wednesday
Championship game: 1 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN2
How it works
It pays to win the regular season MEAC title as the top seed gets a bye to the semifinals. Each of the six other teams that make the conference tournament must play in the quarterfinals. Delaware State didn’t make the field after finishing last in league play.
The favorites
Howard got the league’s top seed by a game over Morgan State. The Bison are also the only team in the MEAC with an overall record above .500. Howard is 21-10 entering the postseason.
The Bears finished 10-4 in conference play and 14-15 overall. They were two games ahead of both Norfolk State and North Carolina Central.
Mountain West -
Begins: Wednesday
Championship game: 6 p.m. ET Saturday, CBS
How it works
All 12 teams in the league make the conference tournament and the top four seeds have byes to the quarterfinals.
The favorites
The Mountain West had a lot of parity this season. Utah State won the league with a 15-5 conference record and finished a game ahead of San Diego State. Overall, seven teams finished within four games of the Aggies. Boise State and Nevada were just three games back and missed out on first-round byes. We are not going to be surprised at all if one or more teams wins three games to make the championship game.
Can Florida win back-to-back NCAA tournaments? (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) (Michael Hickey via Getty Images)SEC -
Begins: Wednesday
Championship game: 1 p.m. ET, Sunday, ESPN
How it works
The top four teams in the 16-team SEC get byes to the quarterfinals while teams seeded Nos. 5 through 8 have a first-round bye. Everyone else must play in the first round.
The favorites
The defending national champion Florida Gators won the regular-season title and are the heavy favorites to win the conference tournament too. Florida has been one of the best teams in the country over the second half of the season. The Gators are a real threat to go back-to-back.
Alabama and Arkansas finished in a tie for second and it was a jumbled mess after that. A team from the middle of the pack in the SEC could make a run. No. 4 Vanderbilt got the last double-bye after winning a tiebreaker with Tennessee and Texas A&M. A game back of those three teams were Georgia, Missouri and Kentucky. The Wildcats lost that three-way tiebreaker and must play LSU on the first day of the tournament. Kentucky has the talent to make a deep SEC tournament run. But do the Wildcats have the consistency?
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WAC -
Begins: Wednesday
Championship game: Midnight ET Sunday, ESPN2
How it works
The seven-team conference gives its top two teams byes to the semifinals while the bottom two teams in the league must play the lone first-round game. The winner plays the No. 3 seed.
The favorites
Utah Valley won the WAC by going 14-4 and finishing a game ahead of California Baptist. Utah Tech is the No. 3 seed and will get either Tarleton State or Abilene Christian in the quarterfinals. Utah Valley went 24-7 overall, while California Baptist is 23-8. Both teams went undefeated at home.
MAC -
Begins: Thursday
Championship game: 8 p.m. ET Saturday, ESPN2
How it works
The top eight teams in the 13-team conference make the conference tournament. Buffalo and UMass got the final spots via a three-way tiebreaker with Ball State. Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois all missed out too.
There are no byes, either. Everyone must win three games to win the title.
The favorites
Believe it or not, undefeated Miami (Ohio) is not the favorite to win the tournament. That honor goes to Akron, who is -110 to win the tournament. The RedHawks are +225. Can their miracle run continue?
Akron’s only loss came to the RedHawks in a 76-73 defeat. Miami has won each of its past three games by a single basket, including a 110-108 win at Ohio to end the regular season. The Bobcats secured the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament, so the two rivals wouldn’t meet until the title game.
Ivy League -
Begins: Saturday
Championship game: noon ET Sunday, ESPN2
How it works
After years of not having a conference tournament, the Ivy League keeps it simple. The top four teams in the league make the conference tournament. The winners of Saturday’s semifinals meet Sunday in the title game.
The favorites
Yale is the top seed after going 11-3 and 23-5 overall. The Bulldogs are the only Ivy League team with fewer than 11 overall losses. Harvard finished 10-4 and will play Penn in one semifinal while Cornell — the only other team to have an above-.500 record in league play — will attempt to knock off Yale.
Source: “AOL Sports”
