Akron Favored to Win MAC Tournament Over Unbeaten Miami (OH)

Miami (OH) faces pressure to win conference tournament to secure NCAA Tournament bid despite perfect regular season

Mar. 11, 2026 at 11:50am

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The Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament tips off on Thursday, with unbeaten regular-season champion and No. 1 seed Miami (Ohio) facing No. 8 UMass. Akron, however, is the overwhelming favorite to win the tournament despite Miami's perfect regular season. Miami has not played a single Quad 1 game this season and has a low non-conference strength of schedule, raising questions about whether the NCAA Tournament committee will overlook their unbeaten record if they don't win the MAC Tournament convincingly.

Why it matters

This case highlights the challenges that mid-major programs can face in securing NCAA Tournament bids, even with an unbeaten regular season record. Miami (OH)'s weak non-conference schedule has left them vulnerable, and they may need to win the MAC Tournament in impressive fashion to avoid being left out of the Big Dance despite their perfect record.

The details

Akron, who went 26-5 overall and 17-1 in conference play, is the -145 favorite to win the MAC Tournament. They had a higher NET ranking than Miami (OH) and won their final six games by an average of 19.7 points. Meanwhile, Miami (OH) has won their last three games by just two points each, raising concerns about their ability to win convincingly. Kent State has also shown flashes of brilliance but lost both games to Akron by an average of 19.5 points.

  • The MAC Tournament tips off at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
  • The tournament champion will be crowned on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

The players

Miami (Ohio) Redhawks

The unbeaten regular-season champion and No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament, with a 26-0 record. However, they have not played a single Quad 1 game this season and have a very low non-conference strength of schedule, raising questions about their NCAA Tournament resume.

Akron Zips

The overwhelming favorite to win the MAC Tournament at -145 odds. They went 26-5 overall and 17-1 in conference play, with a higher NET ranking than Miami (OH) and a more impressive finish to the regular season.

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What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the challenges that mid-major programs can face in securing NCAA Tournament bids, even with an unbeaten regular season record. Miami (OH)'s weak non-conference schedule has left them vulnerable, and they may need to win the MAC Tournament in impressive fashion to avoid being left out of the Big Dance despite their perfect record.