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.The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. on CBS.ASUN: Queens Big South: High PointMissouri Valley (MVC): Northern IowaNortheast (NEC): Long Island (LIU)Ohio Valley (OVC): Tennessee StateOhio Valley Conference (OVC)Championship: Saturday, March 7Tennessee State def. Morehead State, 93-67Big South Conference (Big South)Championship: Sunday, March 8High Point def. Winthrop, 91-76Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)Championship: Sunday, March 8Northern Iowa def. UIC, 84-69Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN)Championship: Sunday, March 8Queens def. Central Arkansas, 98-93 (OT)*All times ETSummit 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 HawksSun Belt Conference (Sun Belt)Championship: Monday, March 9, 6 p.m. (ESPN2) — Pensacola Bay Center (Pensacola, FL)2025 champion: TroySouthern Conference (SoCon)Championship: Monday, March 9, 7 p.m. (ESPN) — Harrah’s Cherokee Center (Asheville, NC)2025 champion: WoffordCoastal Athletic Association (CAA)Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 7 p.m. (CBSSN) — CareFirst Arena (Washington, DC)2025 champion: UNC WilmingtonHorizon League (Horizon)Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 7 p.m. (ESPN) — Corteva Coliseum (Indianapolis, IN)2025 champion: Robert MorrisNortheast 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’sWest Coast Conference (WCC)Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 9 p.m. (ESPN) — Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, NV)2025 champion: GonzagaSouthland Conference (Southland)Championship: Wednesday, March 11, 5 p.m. (ESPN2) — The Legacy Center (Lake Charles, LA)2025 champion: McNeesePatriot 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 TerriersBig Sky Conference (Big Sky)Championship: Wednesday, March 11, 11:30 p.m. (ESPN2) — Idaho Central Arena (Boise, ID)2025 champion: MontanaWestern Athletic Conference (WAC)Championship: Sunday, March 15, 12 a.m. (ESPN2) — Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, NV)2025 champion: Grand CanyonAmerica East Conference (America East)Championship: Saturday, March 14, 11 a.m. (ESPN2) — campus