UMBC, Howard Punch NCAA Tournament Tickets as Selection Sunday Nears

Michigan, Vanderbilt also clinch spots in conference tournament finals

Mar. 14, 2026 at 10:35pm

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The UMBC Retrievers and Howard Bison men's basketball teams have punched their tickets to the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. Meanwhile, the Michigan Wolverines survived a comeback from the Wisconsin Badgers to reach the Big Ten final, and the Vanderbilt Commodores upset the defending champion Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament. In NASCAR, Christopher Bell took the pole position for the upcoming Cup Series race in Las Vegas.

Why it matters

Securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is a major accomplishment for smaller basketball programs like UMBC and Howard, who often face an uphill battle to make the Big Dance. The results also have major implications for the top teams jockeying for position ahead of Selection Sunday.

The details

The UMBC Retrievers and Howard Bison both won their conference tournament championships, earning automatic bids to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. In the Big Ten, Michigan held off a late rally by Wisconsin to advance to the conference final against Purdue. And in the SEC, Vanderbilt pulled off a surprise upset of defending champion Florida to reach their own tournament final.

  • UMBC and Howard clinched their NCAA Tournament bids on March 12, 2026.
  • Michigan and Vanderbilt reached their conference tournament finals on March 13, 2026.
  • The 2026 NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday is scheduled for March 16, 2026.

The players

UMBC Retrievers

The men's basketball team from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who earned an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament by winning their conference tournament.

Howard Bison

The men's basketball team from Howard University, who also clinched an automatic NCAA Tournament bid by winning their conference tournament.

Michigan Wolverines

The men's basketball team from the University of Michigan, who reached the Big Ten tournament final after holding off a late comeback by Wisconsin.

Vanderbilt Commodores

The men's basketball team from Vanderbilt University, who upset defending champion Florida to advance to the SEC tournament final.

Christopher Bell

The NASCAR Cup Series driver who took the pole position for the upcoming race in Las Vegas.

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What they’re saying

“Punching our ticket to the NCAA Tournament is a dream come true for our team and our university. We're excited to represent UMBC on the national stage.”

— Ryan Odom, Head Coach, UMBC Retrievers (UMBC Athletics)

“This is a huge moment for our program and our community. Howard basketball is back on the map, and we can't wait to show the country what we're made of.”

— Kenny Blakeney, Head Coach, Howard Bison (Howard Athletics)

What’s next

The NCAA Tournament selection committee will announce the full 68-team field for the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament on Selection Sunday, March 16, 2026.

The takeaway

The early clinching of tournament bids by smaller programs like UMBC and Howard is a testament to the parity and unpredictability of college basketball, and a reminder that any team can make a Cinderella run in March Madness. Meanwhile, the continued success of traditional powers like Michigan and Vanderbilt shows the depth of talent across the sport as Selection Sunday approaches.