The 2026 WAC basketball tournament schedule takes place March 11-14, 2026. The Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship is gearing up to crown the conference’s automatic qualifier for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The event takes place at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada (Paradise area).
With the WAC currently featuring 7 men’s basketball programs (down from previous expansions due to realignments), all seven teams qualify for the tournament. The format includes byes for the top seeds: No. 1 and No. 2 get direct entry to the semifinals, while lower seeds battle through first-round and quarterfinal games. The champion earns the auto-bid to March Madness. Seeding and exact matchups will be set after the regular season concludes (around March 7, 2026), with the bracket released closer to the event.
Key Dates for the 2026 WAC Men’s Basketball Tournament
The 2026 WAC basketball tournament schedule key dates and info are listed for you below.
- Tournament Dates: Wednesday, March 11 – Saturday, March 14, 2026
- Location: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV
- Format: Single-elimination; all 7 teams qualify; #1 & #2 seeds bye to semifinals; #3–#7 play earlier rounds
- First Round: Wednesday, March 11 (one men’s game)
- Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 12
- Semifinals: Friday, March 13
- Championship Game: Saturday, March 14 (evening slot, likely national TV)
- Regular Season End: ~March 7, 2026 (bracket seeding follows)
2026 WAC Men’s Basketball Tournament Participating Teams
The 7 current WAC men’s basketball members (all qualify for the tournament):
- California Baptist Lancers
- Grand Canyon Antelopes (if still in conference; confirm current roster)
- Seattle Redhawks
- Tarleton State Texans
- UT Arlington Mavericks
- Utah Tech Trailblazers
- Utah Valley Wolverines
2026 WAC Men’s Tournament Broadcast & Streaming Info
- All Rounds: ESPN+ (early games, quarterfinals, semifinals)
- Championship Game: ESPN2 (national TV slot, TBA closer to event; high-visibility for the auto-bid winner)
- Streaming: Full coverage via ESPN+ (subscription required); live links on WAC site or ESPN app
- Note: Vegas setting often boosts attendance and exposure for WAC squads chasing upsets.
2026 WAC Basketball Tournament Schedule
Here’s the 2026 WAC Basketball tournament schedule for you. The official bracket (with seeds, placeholders, and progression) is available on the WAC site in PDF format from the site here (once released).
Here’s a quick printable-friendly structure overview (times PT; subject to change; fill in teams/seeds as announced):
| Round | Date | Game/Session | Time (PT) | Matchup (Seed/Placeholder) | TV/Stream | Notes |
| First Round | Wednesday, Mar 11 | Game 1 | 5:30 pm | No. 6 Seed vs No. 7 Seed | ESPN+ | Opening men’s game |
| Quarterfinals | Thursday, Mar 12 | Game 2 | 6:00 pm | No. 4 Seed vs No. 5 Seed | ESPN+ | |
| Quarterfinals | Thursday, Mar 12 | Game 3 | 8:30 pm | Winner Game 1 vs No. 3 Seed | ESPN+ | |
| Semifinals | Friday, Mar 13 | Game 4 | 6:00 pm | Winner Game 2 vs No. 1 Seed | ESPN+ | Top seeds enter |
| Semifinals | Friday, Mar 13 | Game 5 | 8:30 pm | Winner Game 3 vs No. 2 Seed | ESPN+ | |
| Championship | Saturday, Mar 14 | Game 6 | 9:00 pm | Winner Game 4 vs Winner Game 5 | ESPN2 | Auto-bid to NCAA on the line |
(Times and pairings finalized after regular season)
Printable 2026 WAC Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket
Here’s the printable 2026 WAC Men’s basketball tournament bracket for you. You can also print or save it to PDF while waiting on the official release from the league.
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:
- 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 & Predictions
Use our Tools & Utilities hub to download odds calculators, odds converters, parlay builders, and more to help you enjoy the best time of year in college basketball! March Madness.
