The Horizon League kicks off the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball March Madness. The Horizon League, the first conference to begin the tournament this year, will use a new format. Can Horizon League regular-season champion Wright State return to the podium for the first time since 2022? Or can Robert Morris or Oakland become the first non-No. 1-seeded team in three seasons to represent the conference at the NCAA tournament?
2026 Horizon League Tournament: Can Wright State Make a Return to the NCAA Tournament as the Conference Changes Format
The Horizon League is one of the top low-major Division I college basketball conferences, and as a result, the league usually produces one of the most exciting tournaments. However, the Horizon League’s regular-season champion has claimed the conference tournament title in each of the last two years. Instead of using a traditional single-elimination bracket, the Horizon League, ranked as the 19th-best conference in the nation, will reseed after each round. Six of the 11 teams finished with a winning record — Detroit Mercy and Youngstown State can as well.
The 2026 Horizon League tournament will begin on March 2 with 11th-seeded IU Indy travelling to 10th-seeded Cleveland State. The winner will advance to the second round to face Wright State at the Ervin J. Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. Wright State claimed its first regular-season title since the 2020-21 season, finishing the conference with a 15-5 record. Overall, the top five seeds will get home games in the first round (March 4).
The second round gets confusing as this is where the reseeding takes place. The five remaining teams then advance to the final three rounds held at Corteva Coliseum. The bottom two seeded teams play in the second round, while the other three advance to the semifinals, with the winners advancing to the final. The second round through the finals will be played in Indianapolis at the Corteva Colliseum.
“Reseeding throughout the bracket and Second Round byes for the top remaining teams in Indy rewards regular season success and aims to protect our top seeds, best positioning the League during March Madness,” per the Horizon League Statement.
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