On the first day of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, many Americans rediscover college basketball for the first time in a year. Unfortunately, these poor souls just barely miss out one of the sport’s special treats.
That is conference tournament week—or, more accurately, the zany two-week run-up to the NCAA tournament in which the field’s 31 automatic bids are decided. From here some of the sport’s most memorable moments have sprung, like UConn guard Kemba Walker’s game-winning shot in 2011, or Michigan’s 2017 Big Ten tournament title after a near-catastrophe.
The conference tournaments tip off on Monday, March 2 with a Horizon League play-in game between Cleveland State and IU Indianapolis.
Here is a brief guide to all of the conference tournament fun 2026 has to offer, sorted chronologically from the first conference final to the last.
Ohio Valley
Dates: March 4 to 7
Final Date/Time/TV: March 7, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Site: Evansville, Ind.
2025 Champion: SIU Edwardsville
Big South
Dates: March 4, 6 to 8
Final Date/Time/TV: March 8, Noon ET, ESPN2
Site: Johnson City, Tenn.
2025 Champion: High Point
Missouri Valley
Dates: March 5 to 8
Final Date/Time/TV: March 8, Noon ET, CBS
Site: St. Louis
2025 Champion: Drake
Atlantic Sun
Dates: March 4, 6 to 8
Final Date/Time/TV: March 8, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Site: Jacksonville
2025 Champion: Lipscomb
Summit League
Dates: March 4 to 8
Final Date/Time/TV: March 8, 9 p.m. ET, CBS Sports
Site: Sioux Falls, S.D.
2025 Champion: Omaha
Southern
Dates: March 6 to 9
Final Date/Time/TV: March 9, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Site: Asheville, N.C.
2025 Champion: Wofford
Sun Belt
Dates: March 3 to 9
Final Date/Time/TV: March 9, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Site: Pensacola, Fla.
2025 Champion: Troy
CAA
Dates: March 6 to 10
Final Date/Time/TV: March 10, 7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports
Site: Washington, D.C.
2025 Champion: UNC Wilmington
Horizon League
Dates: March 2, 4, 8 to 10
Final Date/Time/TV: March 10, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
2025 Champion: Robert Morris
Northeast
Dates: March 4, 7, 10
Final Date/Time/TV: March 10, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Site: Campus sites
2025 Champion: Saint Francis
MAAC
Dates: March 5 to 8, 10
Final Date/Time/TV: March 10, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Site: Atlantic City, N.J.
2025 Champion: Mount St. Mary’s
West Coast
Dates: March 5 to 10
Final Date/Time/TV: March 10, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Site: Paradise, Nev.
2025 Champion: Gonzaga
Southland
Dates: March 8 to 11
Final Date/Time/TV: March 11, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Site: Lake Charles, La.
2025 Champion: McNeese
Patriot League
Dates: March 3, 5, 8, 11
Final Date/Time/TV: March 11, 7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports
Site: Campus sites
2025 Champion: American
Big Sky
Dates: March 7 to 11
Final Date/Time/TV: March 11, 11:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Site: Boise, Idaho
2025 Champion: Montana
America East
Dates: March 7, 10, 14
Final Date/Time/TV: March 14, 11 a.m. ET, ESPN2
Site: Campus sites
2025 Champion: Bryant
MEAC
Dates: March 11 to 14
Final Date/Time/TV: March 14, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Site: Norfolk, Va.
2025 Champion: Norfolk State
Big 12
Dates: March 10 to 14
Final Date/Time/TV: March 14, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN
Site: Kansas City
2025 Champion: Houston
Mountain West
Dates: March 11 to 14
Final Date/Time/TV: March 14, 6 p.m. ET, CBS
Site: Paradise, Nev.
2025 Champion: Colorado State
Big East
Dates: March 11 to 14
Final Date/Time/TV: March 14, 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox
Site: New York
2025 Champion: St. John’s
SWAC
Dates: March 9 to 14
Final Date/Time/TV: March 14, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Site: College Park, Ga.
2025 Champion: Alabama State
MAC
Dates: March 12 to 14
Final Date/Time/TV: March 14, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Site: Cleveland
2025 Champion: Akron
ACC
Dates: March 10 to 14
Final Date/Time/TV: March 14, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Site: Charlotte
2025 Champion: Duke
Conference USA
Dates: March 10 to 14
Final Date/Time/TV: March 14, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Site: Huntsville, Ala.
2025 Champion: Liberty
Big West
Dates: March 11 to 14
Final Date/Time/TV: March 14, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Site: Henderson, Nev.
2025 Champion: UC San Diego
WAC
Dates: March 11 to 14
Final Date/Time/TV: March 14, 11:59 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Site: Paradise, Nev.
2025 Champion: Grand Canyon
Ivy League
Dates: March 14 to 15
Final Date/Time/TV: March 15, Noon ET, ESPN2
Site: Ithaca, N.Y.
2025 Champion: Yale
Atlantic 10
Dates: March 11 to 15
Final Date/Time/TV: March 15, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Site: Pittsburgh
2025 Champion: VCU
SEC
Dates: March 11 to 15
Final Date/Time/TV: March 15, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
Site: Nashville
2025 Champion: Florida
American
Dates: March 11 to 15
Final Date/Time/TV: March 15, 3:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
Site: Birmingham
2025 Champion: Memphis
Big Ten
Dates: March 10 to 15
Final Date/Time/TV: March 15, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Site: Chicago
2025 Champion: Michigan
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Men's College Basketball Conference Tournaments: A Comprehensive Schedule.
