2026 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
| Teams | 64 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Championship game: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana | ||||
| |||||
The 2026 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament will be a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball in the United States, the culmination of the 2025–26 NCAA Division II men's basketball season.
The tournament will again feature 64 teams, with teams placed into one of eight geographically oriented, eight-team regionals. The first three rounds will be played on campus sites. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be held at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, and the national championship game will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on April 4.[1]
Goldey–Beacom, Lake Erie, Western New Mexico, and Young Harris will participate in the tournament for the first time.
Qualifying
A total of 64 bids are available for the tournament: 23 automatic bids (awarded to the champions of the twenty-three Division II conferences) and 41 at-large bids.
The bids are allocated evenly among the eight NCAA-designated regions (Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast, and West), each of which contains either two or three of the 23 Division II conferences that sponsor men's basketball. Each region consists of two or three automatic qualifiers (the teams that won their respective conference tournaments) and either five or six at-large bids, awarded regardless of conference affiliation.
Automatic bids (23)
| Automatic bids | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region (Bids) | Conference | School | Record (Conf.) | Appearance | Last bid |
| Atlantic (3) | CIAA | Fayetteville State | 23–6 (14–2) | 5th | 2025 |
| Mountain East | West Liberty | 27–4 (18–2) | 18th | 2025 | |
| PSAC | California (PA) | 22–8 (16–4) | 16th | 2024 | |
| Central (3) | Great American | Harding | 24–7 (17–5) | 8th | 2025 |
| MIAA | Washburn | 31–1 (18–1) | 18th | 2025 | |
| Northern Sun | Minnesota–Duluth | 21–11 (14–9) | 9th | 2024 | |
| East (3) | CACC | Felician | 27–3 (19–1) | 3rd | 2022 |
| East Coast | Daemen | 30–1 (16–0) | 6th | 2025 | |
| Northeast–10 | Saint Anselm | 23–7 (14–4) | 26th | 2023 | |
| Midwest (3) | GLIAC | Grand Valley State | 25–6 (15–5) | 12th | 2019 |
| GLVC | William Jewell | 22–9 (15–5) | 2nd | 2024 | |
| Great Midwest | Walsh | 27–3 (17–3) | 5th | 2024 | |
| South (3) | Gulf South | West Florida | 25–8 (15–7) | 2nd | 2018 |
| SIAC | Morehouse | 22–9 (19–5) | 8th | 2018 | |
| Sunshine State | Nova Southeastern | 27–1 (19–1) | 7th | 2025 | |
| South Central (2) | Lone Star | Dallas Baptist | 27–6 (18–2) | 10th | 2025 |
| RMAC | Black Hills State | 27–4 (17–3) | 3rd | 2023 | |
| Southeast (3) | Carolinas | Young Harris | 22–8 (16–4) | 1st | Never |
| Peach Belt | Lander | 25–5 (17–3) | 8th | 2024 | |
| South Atlantic | Anderson (SC) | 29–2 (20–2) | 5th | 2014 | |
| West (3) | CCAA | Cal State East Bay | 30–0 (22–0) | 6th | 1988 |
| Great Northwest | Saint Martin's | 25–5 (15–3) | 4th | 2023 | |
| PacWest | Point Loma | 25–5 (18–4) | 8th | 2025 | |
At-large bids (41)
Bracket
Regional play will take place on March 14-15 and 17, except for the West Region, who will play one day earlier for all rounds.
Atlantic regional
- Site: Erie, Pennsylvania (Gannon)
| First round March 14 | Regional semifinals March 15 | Regional Finals March 17 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Gannon | 83 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Charleston (WV) | 58 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Gannon | 89 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | California (PA) | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Fayetteville State | 83 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | California (PA) | 96 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Gannon | 81 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Indiana (PA) | 74 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Fairmont State | 83 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Indiana (PA) | 89 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Indiana (PA) | 66* | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Virginia Union | 62 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Virginia Union | 52 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | West Liberty | 46 | ||||||||||||
* – Denotes overtime period
Central regional
- Site: Topeka, Kansas (Washburn)
| First round March 14 | Regional semifinals March 15 | Regional Finals March 17 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Washburn | 62 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Minnesota–Duluth | 64 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Minnesota–Duluth | 60 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | St. Cloud State | 55 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Missouri Western | 65 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | St. Cloud State | 83 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Minnesota–Duluth | 76 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Oklahoma Baptist | 80 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Central Missouri | 88 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Rogers State | 77 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Central Missouri | 63 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Oklahoma Baptist | 75 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Harding | 68 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Oklahoma Baptist | 77 | ||||||||||||
East regional
- Site: Amherst, New York (Daemen)
| First round March 14 | Regional semifinals March 15 | Regional Finals March 17 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Daemen | 111 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Goldey–Beacom | 78 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Daemen | 85 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Saint Michael's | 62 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Saint Michael's | 87 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Bentley | 80 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Daemen | 94 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Saint Anselm | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Saint Anselm | 92 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Assumption | 81 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Saint Anselm | 99 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Felician | 77 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Adelphi | 53 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Felician | 75 | ||||||||||||
Midwest regional
- Site: North Canton, Ohio (Walsh)
| First round March 14 | Regional semifinals March 15 | Regional Finals March 17 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Walsh | 77 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | William Jewell | 70 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Walsh | 86 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Northern Michigan | 68 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Northern Michigan | 86 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Rockhurst | 85 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Walsh | 70 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Michigan Tech | 87 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Michigan Tech | 83 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Lake Erie | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Michigan Tech | 69 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Grand Valley State | 67 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Ashland | 45 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Grand Valley State | 59 | ||||||||||||
South regional
- Site: Davie, Florida (Nova Southeastern)
| First round March 14 | Regional semifinals March 15 | Regional Finals March 17 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Nova Southeastern | 94 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Morehouse | 60 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Nova Southeastern | 98 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Montevallo | 85 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Montevallo | 88 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Florida Southern | 81 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Nova Southeastern | 79 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Alabama–Huntsville | 63 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | West Alabama | 58 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | West Florida | 53 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | West Alabama | 74 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Alabama–Huntsville | 83 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Alabama–Huntsville | 92 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Palm Beach Atlantic | 73 | ||||||||||||
South Central regional
- Site: Dallas, Texas (Dallas Baptist)
| First round March 14 | Regional semifinals March 15 | Regional Finals March 17 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Dallas Baptist | 99 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Colorado Mesa | 66 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Dallas Baptist | 70 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | St. Edward's | 56 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | St. Edward's | 83 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Western New Mexico | 71 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Dallas Baptist | 62 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Black Hills State | 76 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Lubbock Christian | 64 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Black Hills State | 67 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Black Hills State | 78 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | St. Mary's (TX) | 60 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | St. Mary's (TX) | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Eastern New Mexico | 70 | ||||||||||||
Southeast regional
- Site: Anderson, South Carolina (Anderson (SC))
| First round March 14 | Regional semifinals March 15 | Regional Finals March 17 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Anderson (SC) | 69 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Young Harris | 72 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Young Harris | 78 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Lenoir–Rhyne | 84 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | North Georgia | 67 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Lenoir–Rhyne | 80 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Lenoir–Rhyne | 62 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Lander | 86 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Catawba | 75 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Columbus State | 78 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Columbus State | 66 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Lander | 74 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Lincoln Memorial | 71 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Lander | 76 | ||||||||||||
West regional
- Site: Hayward, California (Cal State East Bay)
| First round March 13 | Regional semifinals March 14 | Regional Finals March 16 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Cal State East Bay | 83 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Cal Poly Humboldt | 64 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Cal State East Bay | 76 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Cal State Dominguez Hills | 67 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Cal State Dominguez Hills | 69 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Alaska Anchorage | 58 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Cal State East Bay | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Point Loma | 58 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Point Loma | 76 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Northwest Nazarene | 61 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Point Loma | 66 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Saint Martin's | 57 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Hawaii Pacific | 68 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Saint Martin's | 75 | ||||||||||||
Elite Eight
- Sites: UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Elite Eight and Final Four, hosted by PennWest Clarion) and Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana (National championship)
| Elite Eight March 25, 2026 ESPN+ | Final Four March 27, 2026 ESPN+ | National championship April 5, 2026 CBS/Paramount+ | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Nova Southeastern | |||||||||||||
| 8 | Black Hills State | |||||||||||||
| 5 | Lander | |||||||||||||
| 4 | Daemen | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Gannon | |||||||||||||
| 6 | Michigan Tech | |||||||||||||
| 7 | Oklahoma Baptist | |||||||||||||
| 2 | Cal State East Bay | |||||||||||||
See also
- 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
- 2026 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament
- 2026 NAIA men's basketball tournament
- 2026 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
References
- ^ Stepansky, Aidan. "2026 NCAA DII men's basketball championships: Selection show info, bracket and schedule". ncaa.com. NCAA. Retrieved March 6, 2026.