Missouri Earns NCAA Tournament Bid, Will Face Miami in St. Louis

Tigers make third NCAA Tournament in four seasons under head coach Dennis Gates

Mar. 16, 2026 at 1:43am

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The Missouri Tigers have earned a spot in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, being selected as the 10 seed in the West Bracket to take on No. 7 seed Miami on Friday in St. Louis. This marks the third NCAA Tournament appearance in four seasons for head coach Dennis Gates, who has helped revive the program after a long drought.

Why it matters

Missouri's return to the NCAA Tournament is a significant milestone for the program, which had struggled to reach the Big Dance in recent years prior to Gates' arrival. The Tigers' ability to earn back-to-back tournament bids showcases the progress Gates has made in rebuilding the team into a consistent contender.

The details

Missouri will be facing off against Miami, a team with several connections to the Tigers' program. Guard Marcus Allen transferred from Missouri to Miami after his freshman season, while Miami associate head coach C.Y. Young previously held the same role at Missouri. Additionally, Missouri guard Anthony Robinson II was high school teammates with Miami's Tre Donaldson. The two teams have only met once before, with Missouri defeating Miami in the Sweet 16 in 2002.

  • Missouri will take on Miami at 9:10 p.m. Friday at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
  • The game will be broadcast on TruTV.

The players

Dennis Gates

Missouri's head coach, who has led the Tigers to three NCAA Tournament appearances in his first four seasons.

Marcus Allen

A guard who transferred from Missouri to Miami after his freshman season.

C.Y. Young

Miami's associate head coach, who previously held the same role at Missouri.

Anthony Robinson II

A Missouri guard who was high school teammates with Miami's Tre Donaldson.

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What they’re saying

“We find out when the rest of the world finds out, and that's the exciting part of March Madness. It's such a sort of a gift to be able to have your name called and just don't know where you will be, who you'll play against ... We prepare for these moments in June when we first get our team together.”

— Dennis Gates, Missouri Head Coach

“There's a lot of doubt in the fabric of our institution when it comes to those moments that we've been on the other side of being unlucky. But that also helps the fandom that we do have, the support that we do have. I will never push away the criticism I receive as the head coach. It comes with the territory.”

— Dennis Gates, Missouri Head Coach

What’s next

The winner of the Missouri-Miami matchup will advance to face the winner of the No. 2 seed UCLA vs. No. 15 seed UNC Asheville game in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

Dennis Gates has quickly turned Missouri into an NCAA Tournament regular, earning three bids in his first four seasons as head coach. The Tigers' ability to reach the Big Dance in back-to-back years is a testament to Gates' coaching and the program's resurgence after a long drought.