2026 MAAC Tournament Bracket: Schedule, Final Seeds & Championship Info

The 2026 MAAC Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket & schedule officially begins on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Merrimack Warriors have clinched the No. 1 overall seed and the regular-season title in just their second year of full Division I eligibility. The tournament concludes with the Championship Game on Tuesday, March 10, at 9:00 PM ET on ESPN2, where the winner earns an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

2026 MAAC Men’s Basketball Tournament Schedule

The tournament features the top 10 teams from the conference, with the top six seeds receiving a first-round bye into the quarterfinals.

Round	Matchup	Date	Time (ET)	TV
First Round	No. 8 Iona vs. No. 9 Sacred Heart	March 5	6:00 PM	ESPN+
First Round	No. 7 Fairfield vs. No. 10 Manhattan	March 5	8:30 PM	ESPN+
Quarterfinals	No. 1 Merrimack vs. 8/9 Winner	March 6	6:00 PM	ESPN+
Quarterfinals	No. 2 Saint Peter’s vs. 7/10 Winner	March 6	8:30 PM	ESPN+
Quarterfinals	No. 4 Quinnipiac vs. No. 5 Marist	March 7	6:00 PM	ESPN+
Quarterfinals	No. 3 Siena vs. No. 6 Mount St. Mary’s	March 7	8:30 PM	ESPN+
Semifinals	Winner G3 vs. Winner G5	March 8	6:00 PM	ESPN+
Semifinals	Winner G4 vs. Winner G6	March 8	8:30 PM	ESPN+
Championship	Winner G7 vs. Winner G8	March 10	9:00 PM	ESPN2

Expert Note from the Sports Brackets Analyst: Merrimack’s defensive pressure has been the story of the season, but don’t count out Saint Peter’s at the No. 2 seed. The Peacocks have a history of tournament magic in Atlantic City and possess the interior depth required to navigate a three-game sprint. With Niagara, Canisius, and Rider missing the field this year, the path for the middle of the pack is more wide-open than usual.

Key Dates for the 2026 MAAC Men’s Basketball Tournament

Here are the key dates for the 2026 MAAC men’s basketball tournament schedule and bracket for you.

Tournament Dates: Thursday, March 5 – Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Location: Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ
Format: Single-elimination, top-10 teams (seeds 1–6 receive byes to quarterfinals; 7–10 play first-round games)
First Round: Thursday, March 5 (two games: #8 vs #9, #7 vs #10)
Quarterfinals: Friday, March 6 (two games) and Saturday, March 7 (two games)
Semifinals: Sunday, March 8
Championship Game: Tuesday, March 10 (standalone national TV slot on ESPN or ESPN2)
Note: Men’s title game is on March 10; women’s championship is separate on March 9.

Participating MAAC Teams for the 2025-26 Season

The 11 MAAC member schools (top 10 qualify for the tournament):

Canisius Golden Griffins
Fairfield Stags
Iona Gaels
Manhattan Jaspers
Marist Red Foxes
Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers
Niagara Purple Eagles
Quinnipiac Bobcats
Rider Broncs
Saint Peter’s Peacocks
Siena Saints

2026 MAAC Men’s Tournament Broadcast & Streaming Info

Early Rounds (First Round & Quarterfinals): ESPN+
Semifinals: ESPN+
Championship Game: ESPN or ESPN2 (national TV, exact network TBA closer to event)
Streaming: All games available via ESPN+ (subscription required); check MAAC site or ESPN app for live links.
Note: Spring training overlap with MLB, but MAAC provides solid mid-major coverage.

Printable 2026 MAAC Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket

Here’s the printable 2026 MAAC Men’s basketball tournament bracket for you. The PDF is available from the tournament site here.

Tie-In to March Madness & Regional Buzz

As we head into the full 2026 March Madness schedule (Selection Sunday: March 15 things will only heat up; First Four: March 17-18 in Dayton; Final Four: April 4-6 in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium),

For more NCAA Tournament resources:

Early 2026 March Madness Odds & Predictions

Use our tools to analyze lines:

Free Odds Converter – Convert moneyline to decimal/fractional for MAAC games or NCAA matchups.
Free Parlay Odds Calculator – Build brackets with MAAC champs or March Madness multis.
Implied Probability Calculator

Laurie Marion author

Laurie Marion is a dedicated hockey and college football enthusiast on the Sports Brackets team. A lifelong Boston Bruins fan and proud supporter of the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Big Ten, she covers schedules, brackets, playoffs, and more with passion and expertise.

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