The 2026 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Men’s Basketball Tournament schedule, famously known as Arch Madness, will be held from March 5 to March 8, 2026, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The 12-team tournament features four days of single-elimination action, culminating in the championship game on Sunday, March 8, at 11:00 AM CT (12:00 PM ET) on CBS. The winner earns the conference’s automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
2026 Arch Madness Schedule, Times, and TV Channels
Arch Madness is the second-longest tenured neutral-site collegiate tournament in the nation, having called St. Louis home for 36 consecutive years. For the 2026 event, broadcast duties are split between the MVC TV Network (Gray Media/ESPN+), CBS Sports Network, and the main CBS Television Network for the final.
Arch Madness Session Schedule (All Times Central):
- First Round: Thursday, March 5 – 12:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:30 PM (MVC TV/ESPN+)
- Quarterfinals: Friday, March 6 – 12:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:30 PM (MVC TV/ESPN+)
- Semifinals: Saturday, March 7 – 2:30 PM & 5:00 PM (CBS Sports Network)
- Championship Game: Sunday, March 8 – 11:00 AM (CBS / Paramount+)
Expert Note from the Sports Brackets Analyst: Arch Madness is arguably the most consistent ‘bid-thief’ factory in mid-major basketball. Because the top four seeds earn a bye, the Thursday winners often face a massive fatigue disadvantage on Friday. However, the Enterprise Center atmosphere favors teams with established St. Louis fanbases like Drake and Bradley. Keep an eye on Belmont this year; their high-octane offense is built for the neutral-site rims in St. Louis.
Will the MVC be a two-bid league this year? Track the latest bubble watch and seed projections in our 2026 Selection Sunday Guide.
Tournament Format and Bracket
The 2026 Arch Madness tournament follows a standard single-elimination structure for an 11-team field for the MVC Men’s basketball tournament:
- The top three seeds receive byes to the quarterfinals.
- Seeds 4 and 5 advance directly to the quarterfinals.
- Seeds 6-11 play in three opening-round games to determine the remaining quarterfinal spots.
Bracket structure (team matchups finalized after the regular season ends):
- Opening Round (Thursday, March 5): No. 8 vs. No. 9, No. 7 vs. No. 10, No. 6 vs. No. 11.
- Quarterfinals (Friday, March 6): No. 1 vs. Winner of 8/9, No. 4 vs. No. 5, No. 2 vs. Winner of 7/10, No. 3 vs. Winner of 6/11.
- Semifinals (Saturday, March 7): Winners advance to two semifinal matchups.
- Championship (Sunday, March 8): Semifinal winners face off for the title.
2026 Arch Madness Schedule (MVC Tournament)
While the seeds aren’t determined until the 2025-26 college basketball regular season is over, we have the 2026 Arch Madness schedule for you. All games take place at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Times are in Central Time (CT). Broadcast details (MVC Network and potential national coverage) will be confirmed closer to the event.
| Round | Date | Game | Matchup | Time (CT) | TV/Stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Round | Thursday, March 5 | Game 1 | No. 8 Southern Illinois vs. No. 9 Drake | 3:30 p.m. | MVC TV Network / ESPN+ |
| Opening Round | Thursday, March 5 | Game 2 | No. 7 Valparaiso vs. No. 10 Indiana State | 6:00 p.m. | MVC TV Network / ESPN+ |
| Opening Round | Thursday, March 5 | Game 3 | No. 6 Northern Iowa (UNI) vs. No. 11 Evansville | 8:30 p.m. | MVC TV Network / ESPN+ |
| Quarterfinals | Friday, March 6 | Game 4 | No. 1 Belmont vs. Winner Game 1 | 12:00 p.m. (Noon) | MVC TV Network / ESPN+ |
| Quarterfinals | Friday, March 6 | Game 5 | No. 4 Murray State vs. No. 5 UIC | 2:30 p.m. | MVC TV Network / ESPN+ |
| Quarterfinals | Friday, March 6 | Game 6 | No. 2 Bradley vs. Winner Game 2 | 6:00 p.m. | MVC TV Network / ESPN+ |
| Quarterfinals | Friday, March 6 | Game 7 | No. 3 Illinois State vs. Winner Game 3 | 8:30 p.m. | MVC TV Network / ESPN+ |
| Semifinals | Saturday, March 7 | Game 8 | Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5 | ~2:30–3:00 p.m. (approx.) | CBSSN |
| Semifinals | Saturday, March 7 | Game 9 | Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 7 | ~5:00–6:00 p.m. (approx.) | CBSSN |
| Championship | Sunday, March 8 | Game 10 | Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9 | ~2:00–4:00 p.m. (approx., typical tip) | CBSSN (or ESPN family) |
Notes:
- Top seed Belmont gets a bye to quarterfinals; the bracket is single-elimination with three opening-round games for seeds 6-11.
- Exact times for semifinals and championship are session-based (doubleheaders) and may be approximate—finalized based on TV windows.
How to Follow and Attend the 2026 MVC Tournament
Tickets are available through the MVC website, Ticketmaster, or the Enterprise Center box office. All-session packages and single-session options may be offered, with fan sections often coordinated through team athletic departments.
Printable 2026 MVC Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket
We’ve prepared a clean, printable bracket for the 2026 MVC Men’s Tournament for you. You can save or print it to PDF format. You can also checkout the 2026 March Madness schedule and printable 2026 NCAA Tournament Bracket to see where the MVC might be playing after the tournament concludes. You can download and print the 2026 MVC Tournament Bracket in PDF here from the conference website. We have an image of it below for you.
