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

Conference tournaments are underway and March Madness has officially arrived.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Teams that win their conference tournaments clinch automatic bids into the 2026 NCAA Tournament, which begins with the First Four on Tuesday, March 17. This article tracks the automatic bids as they are locked up through Selection Sunday.

Why it matters

The NCAA Tournament is one of the most highly anticipated sporting events of the year, with millions of fans following along as teams compete for the national championship. Tracking the automatic bids as they are clinched provides valuable information for fans as they prepare their tournament brackets.

The details

The article provides details on the conference tournament champions that have already clinched automatic bids, including the ASUN (Queens), Big South (High Point), Missouri Valley (Northern Iowa), Northeast (Long Island), and Ohio Valley (Tennessee State). It also lists the upcoming conference tournament championship games and their broadcast information.

  • Conference tournaments are underway.
  • The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed on Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. on CBS.
  • The First Four of the 2026 NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 17.

The players

Queens

The automatic bid winner from the ASUN Conference.

High Point

The automatic bid winner from the Big South Conference.

Northern Iowa

The automatic bid winner from the Missouri Valley Conference.

Long Island (LIU)

The automatic bid winner from the Northeast Conference.

Tennessee State

The automatic bid winner from the Ohio Valley Conference.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed on Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. on CBS, setting the stage for the start of the First Four on Tuesday, March 17.

The takeaway

With conference tournaments underway, teams are locking up their automatic bids to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. This tracker provides a comprehensive overview of the automatic qualifiers as they are clinched, helping fans stay up-to-date on the field of 68 teams that will compete for the national championship.