The Atlantic Coast Conference has finalized the bracket for its 2026 men's basketball tournament, set to take place from March 10 to 14 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Duke earned the top seed with a 17-1 conference record, while Miami secured the No. 3 seed after a strong season. The event features 15 teams, with the bottom three excluded from postseason play.
The 2026 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament bracket was determined following the regular season, highlighting a competitive field led by Duke as the No. 1 seed. The Blue Devils finished with a 17-1 ACC record and 29-2 overall, positioning them for a potential back-to-back conference title. Virginia claimed the No. 2 seed with 15-3 in conference play and 27-4 overall, followed by Miami at No. 3 (13-5 ACC, 24-7 overall) and North Carolina at No. 4 (12-6 ACC, 24-7 overall). Clemson rounds out the top five with a 12-6 conference mark and 22-9 overall.
The tournament excludes Boston College, Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech, the bottom three teams in the 18-team league. Bubble teams such as No. 7 NC State, No. 9 Cal, No. 10 Stanford, and No. 11 SMU face extended paths, starting in the first round on Tuesday, March 10. That day's matchups include Stanford vs. Pitt at 2 p.m. on ACC Network, SMU vs. Syracuse at 4:30 p.m., and Virginia Tech vs. Wake Forest at 7 p.m.
Second-round games on Wednesday, March 11, pit higher seeds against first-round winners: NC State vs. Game 1 winner at noon on ESPN, Louisville vs. Game 2 winner at 2:30 p.m., Florida State vs. Cal at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, and Clemson vs. Game 3 winner at 9:30 p.m. Quarterfinals continue Thursday with Virginia vs. Game 4 winner at noon, Miami vs. Game 5 winner at 2:30 p.m., Duke vs. Game 6 winner at 7 p.m., and North Carolina vs. Game 7 winner at 9:30 p.m., all on ESPN networks.
Semifinals are scheduled for Friday, March 13, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., leading to the championship on Saturday, March 14, at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN. The event will be streamed on the ESPN app and fuboTV. Virginia and Miami, both under first-year coaches, aim to build momentum for the NCAA Tournament alongside established contenders like Duke and North Carolina.
