Cal and Florida State Meet in ACC Tournament Second Round

The winner faces No. 1 seed Duke in the quarterfinals

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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The California Golden Bears and Florida State Seminoles will face off in the second round of the T. Rowe Price ACC Men's Basketball Tournament on Wednesday evening. Both teams earned a first-round bye, with Cal as the No. 9 seed and Florida State as the No. 8 seed. The winner of this matchup will advance to play top-seeded Duke in the tournament quarterfinals.

Why it matters

This game represents an important opportunity for both teams to advance deeper into the ACC Tournament and potentially earn an NCAA Tournament bid. As the No. 9 and No. 8 seeds, respectively, Cal and Florida State are looking to pull off an upset against higher-ranked opponents.

The details

The Cal Golden Bears (21-10, 9-9 ACC) and Florida State Seminoles (17-14, 10-8 ACC) did not play in the first round of the ACC Tournament. The winner of Wednesday's second-round matchup will face No. 1 seed Duke on Thursday in the quarterfinals.

  • The game will tip off at 7 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
  • The quarterfinal matchup against Duke will take place on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

The players

California Golden Bears

The California Golden Bears are the No. 9 seed in the ACC Tournament, finishing the regular season with a 21-10 record and a 9-9 conference record.

Florida State Seminoles

The Florida State Seminoles are the No. 8 seed in the ACC Tournament, finishing the regular season with a 17-14 record and a 10-8 conference record.

Duke Blue Devils

The Duke Blue Devils are the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament, earning that top spot with a strong regular season performance.

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What they’re saying

“This is a huge opportunity for our team to make a deep run in the ACC Tournament and potentially earn an NCAA Tournament bid. We're excited to take on Florida State and see what we can do.”

— Mark Fox, Head Coach, California Golden Bears (writeforcalifornia.com)

“We know Duke is waiting for us in the quarterfinals, but we can't look past Florida State. They're a tough, well-coached team and we'll need to bring our A-game to get the win.”

— Leonard Hamilton, Head Coach, Florida State Seminoles (writeforcalifornia.com)

What’s next

The winner of the Cal vs. Florida State game will face the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

The takeaway

This second-round matchup between Cal and Florida State represents an important opportunity for both teams to advance deeper into the ACC Tournament and potentially earn an NCAA Tournament bid. Whichever team can pull off the upset will face a tough test against the No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils in the quarterfinals.