Game Time Announced For Virginia's First ACC Tournament Matchup

The Cavaliers are the No. 2 seed and have earned a double bye in the conference tournament.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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The Virginia Cavaliers are entering next week's ACC Tournament as the No. 2 seed and have earned a double bye in the conference tournament. It has been a great first season for Ryan Odom in Charlottesville and it could result in an ACC Tournament Championship. The game time and TV channels for next week's ACC Tournament have been announced.

Why it matters

Virginia's strong season under new head coach Ryan Odom has them positioned as one of the top contenders for the ACC Tournament title. As the No. 2 seed, they have a chance to make a deep run and potentially face off against powerhouse Duke in the championship game.

The details

Virginia will play their first game at Noon next Thursday and if they win that game, they will advance to the Semifinals on Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET. The ACC Tournament Championship will be next Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

  • The 2026 T. Rowe Price ACC Men's Basketball Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 10.
  • Virginia's first game is scheduled for Thursday, March 12 at Noon ET.
  • If Virginia wins their first game, they will advance to the Semifinals on Friday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
  • The ACC Tournament Championship game is scheduled for Saturday, March 14 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The players

Ryan Odom

The head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team, in his first season leading the program.

Jon Scheyer

The head coach of the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team, taking over the program from legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski.

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What they’re saying

“We do it every game. Celebrate, tolerate. We're going to celebrate the things that we did really well. We're not going to tolerate the things that we didn't, and try to move those tolerated things to the celebrate side, and we just try to learn from the game and the performance, and there's probably a five to seven minute stretch in there where we might be able to learn some things about ourselves but all in all we did not play well enough to be extremely competitive in this game.”

— Ryan Odom, Head Coach, Virginia Cavaliers (si.com)

“He's done a great job since he took over. There's no more pressure situation than what he's been thrust into. And he and his staff have done a fabulous job of following a legend, and obviously, he knows the inner workings of this place better than anybody. And he's just done a magnificent job in this particular year. His team is well-balanced. They know who they are on offense. They know who they are on defense.”

— Ryan Odom, Head Coach, Virginia Cavaliers (si.com)

What’s next

If Virginia wins their first game in the ACC Tournament, they will advance to the Semifinals on Friday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The takeaway

Virginia's strong season under new head coach Ryan Odom has them positioned as one of the top contenders for the ACC Tournament title. With a double-bye as the No. 2 seed, the Cavaliers have a chance to make a deep run and potentially face off against powerhouse Duke in the championship game.