• Basketball
  • Duke Leads Eight ACC Teams With Bids Into The 2026 NCAA Tournament, Most Since 2018

Duke Leads Eight ACC Teams With Bids Into The 2026 NCAA Tournament, Most Since 2018

Details
Basketball

(BCSNN) — Eight ACC men’s basketball programs earned bids to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the league’s highest total since sending nine teams in both 2017 and 2018. Clemson, Duke, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, SMU and Virginia were all selected to the 68‑team field.

The tournament begins Tuesday, March 17, with First Four games in Dayton, Ohio. First‑round action follows March 19–20, with second‑round games March 21–22.

After sweeping both the ACC regular‑season and T. Rowe Price ACC Tournament titles, Duke (32–2, 19–1 ACC) earned the No. 1 overall seed and the No. 1 seed in the East Region. The Blue Devils face Siena on Thursday in Greenville, S.C., marking their 48th NCAA appearance and fourth straight under Jon Scheyer. Duke is 126–42 all‑time in the tournament with national titles in 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010 and 2015.

Clemson (24–10, 12–6) claimed the No. 8 seed in the South Region and meets No. 9 Iowa on Friday in Tampa. The Tigers are making their 15th NCAA appearance and sixth under Brad Brownell.

Louisville (23–10, 11–7) earned a No. 6 seed in the East Region and will play No. 11 South Florida on Thursday in Buffalo. The Cardinals are making their 41st NCAA appearance and second straight under Pat Kelsey, with national titles in 1980 and 1986.

Miami (25–8, 13–5), completing Division I’s largest turnaround this season, secured a No. 7 seed in the West Region and faces No. 10 Missouri on Friday in St. Louis. The Hurricanes earned their 13th NCAA bid and first under Jai Lucas.

North Carolina (24–8, 12–6) received a No. 6 seed in the South Region and plays No. 11 VCU on Thursday in Greenville. The Tar Heels are making their 55th NCAA appearance — the most of any ACC program — and own six national championships.

NC State (20–13, 10–8) returns to the tournament as a No. 11 seed in the West Region under first‑year head coach Will Wade. The Wolfpack face Texas on Tuesday in the First Four, with the winner advancing to meet BYU. NC State owns two national titles and reached the Final Four in 2024.

Virginia (29–5, 15–3) earned a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region and plays No. 14 Wright State on Friday in Philadelphia. The Cavaliers are making their 27th NCAA appearance and first under Ryan Odom. Virginia won the 2019 national championship.

SMU (20–13, 8–10) claimed a No. 11 seed and will play Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday in the First Four, with the winner advancing to face No. 6 Tennessee. The Mustangs are making their 13th NCAA appearance and first since 2017.

The ACC has captured three of the last 10 national championships (Duke 2015, North Carolina 2017, Virginia 2019). Since 2015, ACC teams lead all conferences in Final Four appearances (10) and NCAA Tournament wins (116), with six different programs reaching the Final Four in that span.

ACC in 2026 NCAA Tournament
Tuesday, March 17 – NCAA First Four
No. 11 NC State vs. No. 11 Texas – West Region – Dayton, Ohio
 
Wednesday, March 18 – NCAA First Four
No. 11 SMU vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio) – Midwest Region – Dayton, Ohio
 
Thursday, March 19 – First Round
No. 16 Siena vs. No. 1 Duke – East Region – Greenville, S.C.
No. 11 South Florida vs. No. 6 Louisville – East Region – Buffalo, N.Y.
No. 11 VCU vs. No. 6 North Carolina – South Region – Greenville, S.C.
 
Friday, March 20 – First Round
No. 10 Missouri vs. No. 7 Miami – West Region – St. Louis, Mo.
No. 14 Wright State vs. No. 3 Virginia – Midwest Region – Philadelphia, Pa.
No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 8 Clemson – South Region – Tampa, Fla.