Clemson Earns No. 8 Seed in NCAA Tournament, Will Face Iowa

Tigers to take on Hawkeyes in South Region first-round matchup

Mar. 15, 2026 at 10:33pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Clemson Tigers (24-10) have earned a No. 8 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will face the No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes (21-12) in the first round. The winner will advance to play the No. 1 seed Florida Gators or the winner of Prairie View vs. Lehigh.

Why it matters

This marks Clemson's third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Brad Brownell, who has now guided the Tigers to the Big Dance six times in his tenure. The Tigers are looking to advance past the first round after suffering a disappointing early exit last year.

The details

Clemson earned its tournament bid by beating both Wake Forest and No. 19 North Carolina in last week's ACC Tournament before falling to No. 1 Duke. A win in this year's tournament would give the Tigers 25 wins on the season, just the sixth time in program history they've reached that milestone, with two of those 25-win campaigns coming under Brownell.

  • The 2026 NCAA Tournament Selection Show was held on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
  • Clemson and Iowa will face off in the first round on a date to be determined.

The players

Brad Brownell

Clemson's head coach, who has now guided the Tigers to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and six overall in his tenure.

Clemson Tigers

The No. 8 seed in the South Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, with a 24-10 record on the season.

Iowa Hawkeyes

The No. 9 seed in the South Region, with a 21-12 record on the season and coming from the Big Ten conference.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“March Madness is here. And Clemson now has its marching orders for the NCAA Tournament.”

— Tiger Illustrated

What’s next

The winner of the Clemson-Iowa first-round matchup will advance to face the winner of No. 1 seed Florida and the winner of Prairie View vs. Lehigh.

The takeaway

Clemson's third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance under Brad Brownell is a testament to the program's sustained success, and the Tigers will look to build on their recent tournament experience as they aim to advance past the first round this year.