The 2026 CAA Tournament schedule takes place from March 6-10, 2026. The tournament is taking place at the CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C.. This 13-team event for the men’s teams features a play-in format for the lower seeds, with the winner earning the CAA’s automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
As conference play intensifies in late January 2026, the race for top seeding and NCAA bubble positioning is heating up. The tournament tips off with play-in games and builds to semifinals and the championship on CBSSN, with streaming coverage for the early rounds on FloHoops. The official title for this year’s tournament is the 2026 Air Force Reserve’s CAA Men’s basketball championship.
2026 CAA Tournament Schedule: Dates & Location
Here’s the 2026 CAA Tournament schedule, dates, location, and more for you.
- Dates: March 6–10, 2026
- Location: CareFirst Arena, Washington, D.C. (formerly Entertainment & Sports Arena)
- Format: 13 teams; #12 vs. #13 play-in on Friday, March 6; full bracket proceeds through quarterfinals (mostly Saturday/Sunday), semifinals (Monday), and championship (Tuesday, March 10).
- TV/Streaming: Early rounds on FloHoops; semifinals and final on CBS Sports Network (CBSSN).
- Tickets: All-session books available now via official CAA channels or Ticketmaster.
The setup gives higher seeds byes into the second round, rewarding strong regular-season performance while giving bubble teams a path to glory.
Late-January 2025-26 Standings Snapshot & Key Teams
As of late January 2026 (post key games like Charleston’s recent 66-64 win over Hofstra on Jan 29), the CAA race is tight at the top:
- UNCW leads with a strong 7-1 conference mark (overall strong non-con play).
- Charleston (College of Charleston) sits at 6-2 in CAA (13-8 overall), showing consistency and a solid win over Hofstra to stay in the hunt for the #1 or #2 seed.
- William & Mary at 5-3, making noise.
- Hofstra at 4-4 (13-8 overall), competitive but needing wins to climb seeding and avoid the play-in bubble.
Other contenders include Drexel, Elon, and Towson lurking. Charleston and Hofstra remain focal points—Charleston’s veteran core and defense position them as frontrunners for the top seed, while Hofstra’s scoring punch keeps them dangerous. Late-season swings (e.g., head-to-heads in February) will shake up projections.
2026 CAA Tournament Schedule (Tip-off Times and Matchups)
Here’s the 2026 CAA Tournament schedule grid for you.
| Round | Date | Game/Session | Time (ET) | Matchup | Venue | Broadcast/Streaming |
| First Round (Play-in) | Friday, March 6 | Game 1 | 2:00 PM | #12 seed vs. #13 seed | CareFirst Arena, Washington, D.C. | FloHoops |
| Second Round | Saturday, March 7 | Game 2 | 12:00 PM | #8 seed vs. #9 seed | CareFirst Arena, Washington, D.C. | FloHoops |
| Second Round | Saturday, March 7 | Game 3 | 2:30 PM | #5 seed vs. Winner of Game 1 | CareFirst Arena, Washington, D.C. | FloHoops |
| Second Round | Saturday, March 7 | (Additional games) | TBA / Afternoon/Evening slots | Other second-round matchups (e.g., #7 vs. #10, #6 vs. #11, etc., per bracket) | CareFirst Arena, Washington, D.C. | FloHoops |
| Quarterfinals | Sunday, March 8 | Games (e.g., Game 6 mentioned in previews) | TBA (likely afternoon/evening sessions) | Winners advance (e.g., top seeds enter here) | CareFirst Arena, Washington, D.C. | FloHoops |
| Semifinals | Monday, March 9 | Semifinals | TBA | Winners from quarterfinals | CareFirst Arena, Washington, D.C. | CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) |
| Championship | Tuesday, March 10 | Final | TBA (likely evening) | Semifinal winners | CareFirst Arena, Washington, D.C. | CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) |
Seeding Projections & Printable Bracket
Seeds are based on final conference standings (ties broken by standard CAA tiebreakers). Current projections (late Jan) point to:
- UNCW (projected top seed, home-court edge feel in neutral site)
- Charleston (strong contender for #1 if they close strong)
- William & Mary
- Hofstra (or rising team like Drexel/Elon)
*Please note, these are as of today (January 29th) and subject to change.
Lower seeds (#9-13) face play-in risks, with #12/#13 in the Friday opener.
Printable 2026 CAA Tournament Bracket
Download our free printable 2026 CAA Tournament bracket PDF (blank for filling in as seeds finalize, or with projected seeding based on current trends). Perfect for pools, office brackets, or tracking bubble implications.
[Download Printable 2026 CAA Tournament Bracket PDF]
You can also save or print the image format of the bracket below too.
March Madness Resources
Here are some related March Madness articles, schedules, and bracket for you to check out for the upcoming postseason.
- 2026 March Madness Schedule: Dates, Locations, TV, Printable Bracket & Key Info (Updated January 2026)
- Printable 2026 March Madness Bracket: Download Your Free NCAA Tournament Template
- 2026 March Madness Women’s Schedule; Times, TV Broadcasts
- Printable 2026 Women’s March Madness Bracket; Schedule and Results
- Early 2026 March Madness Odds: Favorites, Sleepers & Bracket Predictions
