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Eight ACC Teams Earn NCAA Tournament Bids
Duke, North Carolina, Virginia among conference's top seeds
Mar. 16, 2026 at 7:48am
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The Atlantic Coast Conference will be well-represented in the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, with eight teams earning bids to the 68-team event. Duke, the regular-season and tournament champion, earned the No. 1 overall seed, while North Carolina, Virginia, Louisville, Miami, Clemson, NC State, and SMU also secured spots in the field.
Why it matters
The ACC's strong showing in the NCAA Tournament highlights the conference's continued dominance in men's college basketball. With six different ACC programs reaching the Final Four since 2015, the league has cemented its status as one of the premier conferences in the sport.
The details
Duke, the No. 1 overall seed, will face Siena in the first round, while North Carolina, Louisville, Miami, Clemson, NC State, and SMU all earned at-large bids. Virginia, the 2019 national champion, secured a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region and will take on Wright State. The ACC has captured three of the last 10 NCAA championships and leads all conferences in Final Four appearances and tournament wins since 2015.
- The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 17 with the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio.
- The first round will be played on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20.
- The second round is scheduled for Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22.
The players
Duke
The Blue Devils earned the No. 1 overall seed and the No. 1 seed in the East Region after winning both the ACC regular-season and tournament titles. Duke is making its 48th NCAA Tournament appearance and is seeking its sixth national championship.
North Carolina
The Tar Heels claimed a No. 6 seed in the South Region and will face No. 11 seed VCU in the first round. UNC is making its 55th NCAA Tournament appearance, the most of any ACC program, and is seeking its seventh national title.
Virginia
The Cavaliers earned a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region and will take on No. 14 seed Wright State in the first round. Virginia is making its 27th NCAA Tournament appearance and is seeking its second national championship, having won its first in 2019.
What they’re saying
“Eight ACC teams in the NCAA Tournament is a testament to the strength and depth of our conference. We're excited to see how our teams perform on the national stage.”
— Jim Phillips, ACC Commissioner (ACC.com)
What’s next
The winners of the First Four games on Tuesday and Wednesday will advance to the first round, which begins on Thursday, March 19.
The takeaway
The ACC's strong representation in the 2026 NCAA Tournament underscores the conference's continued dominance in men's college basketball. With multiple national championship contenders and a deep pool of talented teams, the ACC is poised to make a significant impact on this year's tournament.
