The 2026 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament second round is officially in the books following a high-octane Wednesday in Charlotte. NC State put on a dominant offensive display with 98 points to advance, while Florida State outlasted California in a 95–89 thriller. They join Louisville and Clemson in a star-studded Quarterfinal field set for Thursday. Fans can catch all the action on the ESPN family of networks. Below, find our verified Day 2 recap table, the official Thursday Quarterfinal schedule, and the latest printable PDF bracket.

2026 ACC Tournament Schedule Day 2 Recap

Thursday Quarterfinal Schedule Table

ACC Tournament Session Schedule:

• First Round (Seeds 10-15): Tuesday, March 10 (ACC Network)
• Second Round (Seeds 5-9 join): Wednesday, March 11 (ACC Network/ESPN2)
• Quarterfinals (Seeds 1-4 join): Thursday, March 12 (ESPN/ESPN2)
• Semifinals: Friday, March 13 (ESPN/ESPN2)
• Championship Game: Saturday, March 14 (8:30 PM ET on ESPN)

Expert Note from the Sports Brackets Analyst: The move to an 18-team conference but a 15-team tournament creates a brutal ‘cut line’ in 2026. Teams like Cal and Stanford – making their second-ever cross-country trip for conference play – will be fighting just to earn a trip to Charlotte. Historically, the double-bye (Top 4 seeds) is the only reliable path to the title; no team in ACC history has ever won five games in five days to take the trophy and earn the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Selection Sunday Preview: Is the ACC a 6-bid or 7-bid league this year? Track the latest projections in our 2026 Selection Sunday Guide.

On the Bubble? See if your team is currently projected for the field in our Live 2026 March Madness Bubble Watch.

Official 2026 ACC Tournament Seeds

1 – Duke (17–1) – Double Bye

2 – Virginia (14–3) – Double Bye

3 – Miami (13–4) – Double Bye

4 – North Carolina (12–5) – Double Bye

5 – Clemson (11–6) – Single Bye

6 – Louisville (10–7) – Single Bye

7 – NC State (10–7) – Single Bye

8 – California (9–8) – Single Bye

9 – Florida State (9–8) – Single Bye

10 – SMU (8–9)

11 – Virginia Tech (8–9)

12 – Stanford (8–9)

13 – Syracuse (6–11)

14 – Wake Forest (6–11)

15 – Notre Dame (4–13)

16 – Pitt (4–13)

17 – Boston College (3–14)

18 – Georgia Tech (2–15)

2026 ACC Basketball Tournament Schedule and TV Broadcasts

The 2026 ACC basketball tournament schedule takes place from March 10-14, 2026.

All times are Eastern Time (ET).

Tuesday, March 10 (First Round)

• Game 1: #12 Stanford vs. #17 Boston College | 2:00 p.m. | ACC Network
• Game 2: #13 Syracuse vs. #16 Pitt | 4:30 p.m. | ACC Network
• Game 3: #14 Wake Forest vs. #15 Notre Dame | 7:00 p.m. | ACC Network
• Game 4: #11 Virginia Tech vs. #18 Georgia Tech | 9:30 p.m. | ACC Network

Wednesday, March 11 (Second Round)

• Game 5: #8 California vs. #9 Florida State | 11:30 a.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
• Game 6: #5 Clemson vs. Winner Game 1 | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
• Game 7: #7 NC State vs. #10 SMU | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
• Game 8: #6 Louisville vs. Winner Game 2 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2

Thursday, March 12 (Quarterfinals)

• Game 9: #1 Duke vs. Winner Game 5 | 11:30 a.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
• Game 10: #4 North Carolina vs. Winner Game 6 | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
• Game 11: #2 Virginia vs. Winner Game 7 | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
• Game 12: #3 Miami vs. Winner Game 8 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2

Friday, March 13 (Semifinals)

• Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2
• Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12 | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2

Saturday, March 14 (Championship)

• Game 15: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN

Key ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Details

• Dates: March 10-14, 2026
  • First Round: Tuesday, March 10 (seeds 10-15 play; 3 games)
  • Second Round: Wednesday, March 11
  • Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 12
  • Semifinals: Friday, March 13
  • Championship: Saturday, March 14 (~8:30 PM ET on ESPN)
• Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC (capacity ~20,200; home of NBA Hornets)
• TV/Streaming: ESPN family of networks (ACC Network for early rounds, ESPN for finals); full coverage on WatchESPN/app.
• Format: 15-team bracket (top seed bye to quarters; bottom 6 play first round). Tiebreakers: head-to-head, then common opponents, etc.

Auto Bid: Winner

Past ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Champions

The following are the past ACC men’s basketball tournament champions since 2015. 

Printable ACC Basketball Tournament Bracket (Seeded and Updated)

The league updates the bracket and is in printable PDF format for you here. The team who wins the ACC tournament will earn the conference’s automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Basketball Tournament. If you are looking for a printable, blank 2026 March Madness bracket, we have one posted as well as a March Madness schedule. 

2026 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament FAQ

Who is the #1 seed in the 2026 ACC Tournament? 

The Duke Blue Devils are the #1 seed after a dominant 17–1 conference season.

Where is the ACC Tournament being played in 2026? 

The tournament is being held at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Which teams have a double-bye? 

Duke (#1), Virginia (#2), Miami (#3), and North Carolina (#4) have secured double-byes and will not play until the Quarterfinals on Thursday.

How can I watch the ACC Championship game? 

The championship game will air live on ESPN on Saturday, March 14, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Jacey Tine Author

Jacey Tine is a lifelong San Diego Padres and Florida Gators fan with 7+ years of sports coverage experience. At Sports Brackets, she delivers brackets, schedules, previews, and analysis across MLB, college football, NFL, WNBA, and more. Always with a fan-focused, reliable approach.

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