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The 2026 Southland Men’s Tournament bracket in logo form. | Chris Dobbertean using logos from SportsLogos.net
2026 Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics
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Format
Stepladder bracket
Site
This will be the fourth consecutive time the Legacy Center on McNeese’s campus in Lake Charles, Louisiana will host—an arrangement scheduled to continue through the 2029 Southland tournament.
Participants
Lamar (12-19, 7-15, t-9th), Incarnate Word (12-19, 7-15, t-9th), Southeastern Louisiana (9-22, 6-16, t-11th), and East Texas A&M (11-21, 6-16, t-11th) did not qualify for the eight-team field.
Schedule
Downloadable PDF Bracket
TV/Streaming Info
ESPN+ ($) will stream all games other than the first semifinal and championship.
First Round (Sun. 3/8)
Gm. 1: (8) Houston Christian (12-19, 8-14) vs. (5) New Orleans (14-17, 12-10), 6
The Huskies swept: 85-75 (away) on 12/6 and 61-60 (home) on 2/14.
Gm. 2: (7) Northwestern State (10-21, 8-14) vs. (6) Nicholls (13-18, 12-10), 8:30*
The Colonels swept: 74-72 (home) on 1/5 and 61-58 (road) on 2/2.
Quarterfinals (Mon. 3/9)
Gm. 3: Gm. 1 winner vs. (4) Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (17-14, 13-9), 6
Gm. 4: Gm. 2 winner vs. (3) UTRGV (18-13, 14-8), 8:30*
Semifinals (Tues. 3/10)
Gm. 5: Gm. 3 winner vs. (1) Stephen F. Austin (27-4, 20-2), 7 (ESPNU)
Gm. 6: Gm. 4 winner at (2) McNeese (26-5, 19-3), 9:30*
Championship (Wed. 3/11)
Gm. 7: Semifinal winners, 5 (ESPN2)
Mayhem Potential
Data originally posted by Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitterin 2020 with my own additions for the seasons beyond.
- 1 seed (7): 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024, 2025
- 2 seed (2): 2013, 2019, 2021
- 3 seed (2): 2012, 2018
- 4 seed (1): 2022
- 7 seed (1): 2011
The No. 1 seed has won the last three titles after failing to do so between 2019 and 2022. Since implementing a ladder bracket in 2012, the top two seeds (who earn a bye to the semifinals) have won all but three titles. Those all went to the 3 or 4 seeds, who earn a bye to the quarterfinals.
NCAA Seeding Record In The 68-Team Era
Years with an NCAA win are in bold.
- 12 seed (4): 2014, 2015, 2024, 2025
- 14 seed (4): 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021
- 15 seed (1): 2019
- 16 seed (5):2011 (First Four), 2012 (First Four), 2017 (First Four), 2022 (First Four), 2023 (First Four)
McNeese earned 12 seeds in both 2024 and 2025 under Will Wade, with the Cowboys topping Clemson in last year’s First Round. Now coached by Bill Armstrong, the second-seeded Cowboys are 60th in the NET, with top seed SFA ranking 85th. That’s 12 or 13 seed territory should one of them win the title. UTRGV, one of D1’s least successful programs lately, checks in at 137, and their South Texas rivals from Corpus Christi are in the Top 200 at 192. They could each earn a 14 or 15, but anyone else is likely to end up on seed line 16.
Last NCAA Tournament Appearances
McNeese: 2025 (12 seed, 2nd Round)
A&M-Corpus Christi: 2023 (16 seed, 1st Round)
Stephen F. Austin: 2018 (14 seed, 1st Round)
New Orleans: 2017 (16 seed, First Four)
Northwestern State: 2014 (14 seed, Round of 64)
Nicholls: 1998 (16 seed, 1st Round)
Houston Christian: 1984 (12 seed, Preliminary Round, TAAC (ASUN) member as Houston Baptist)
Incarnate Word has yet to make its first NCAA appearance, and the Cardinals will have to wait until 2027 to get there, as will newly-eligible EastTexas A&M. UTRGV has a decent chance at making the field for the first time. Lamar (2012, 16 seed, First Four) and Southeastern Louisiana (2005, 15 seed, 1st Round) will also have to wait until next year to plot a return.
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