The 2026 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Tournament officially begins on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, with opening-round games hosted at campus sites. The tournament concludes with the Championship Game on Tuesday, March 10, at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, where the winner earns an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. All early-round games are broadcast on ESPN+, with the semifinals and championship game moving to ESPN or ESPN2.
2026 Horizon League Tournament Bracket & Schedule
The Horizon League uses a “re-seeding” format where the highest remaining seeds always host the lowest remaining seeds in the early rounds.
Key Tournament Dates:
- First Round (Campus Sites): Tuesday, March 3
- Quarterfinals (Campus Sites): Thursday, March 5
- Semifinals (Indianapolis): Monday, March 9
- Horizon League Championship: Tuesday, March 10 (7:00 PM ET, ESPN/ESPN2)
Expert Note from the Sports Brackets Analyst: The Horizon League is notorious for early-round upsets because of the campus-site hosting rules. However, once the tournament moves to the Indiana Farmers Coliseum for the final four, the higher seeds typically regain control. Keep a close eye on Oakland and Northern Kentucky, as both programs have extensive ‘arch-madness’ experience in Indianapolis.
2026 Horizon League Tournament Schedule Dates & Location
The 2026 Horizon League tournament schedule for the men’s bracket takes place from March 2-10, 2026. Here is all of the info on the dates and location for you.
- Dates: March 2–10, 2026
- Locations: Play-in and first round at higher-seed campus sites; second round, semifinals, and championship at Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis, IN
- Format: 11 teams; play-in between #10 and #11 on March 2; first round features four games on March 4 (winner of play-in at #9, #8 at #3, #7 at #4, #6 at #5); top seeds #1 and #2 receive byes to the second round. Re-seeding occurs for Indianapolis games, with the two lowest advancing seeds playing a second-round game.
- TV/Streaming: Early rounds on ESPN+; later rounds potentially on CBS Sports Network (TBA).
- Tickets: Available via official Horizon League channels or Ticketmaster for Indianapolis sessions.
This format rewards top regular-season teams with byes and home games before converging in Indy for the finale.
2026 Horizon Tournament Schedule
Here’s the detailed 2026 Horizon Tournament schedule for you.
| Round | Date | Game / Matchup | Time (ET) | Location / Notes | TV/Stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play-In Round | Monday, March 2 | No. 11 IU Indianapolis at No. 10 Cleveland State | 7:00 p.m. | Cleveland State home court | ESPN+ |
| First Round | Tuesday, March 3 | No. 6 Purdue Fort Wayne at No. 5 Green Bay | 8:00 p.m. | Green Bay home court (shifted for scheduling) | ESPN+ |
| First Round | Wednesday, March 4 | Play-In Winner at No. 1 Wright State | 7:00 p.m. | Wright State home court | ESPN+ |
| First Round | Wednesday, March 4 | No. 9 Youngstown State at No. 2 Robert Morris (RMU) | 7:00 p.m. | RMU home court | ESPN+ |
| First Round | Wednesday, March 4 | No. 8 Milwaukee at No. 3 Detroit Mercy | 7:00 p.m. | Detroit Mercy home court | ESPN+ |
| First Round | Wednesday, March 4 | No. 7 Northern Kentucky at No. 4 Oakland | 7:00 p.m. | Oakland home court | ESPN+ |
| Second Round | Sunday, March 8 | Reseeded: Second-worst First Round winner vs. Worst First Round winner (based on results/seeds) | 3:30 p.m. | Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis, IN | ESPN+ |
| Semifinals | Monday, March 9 | Semifinal 1: Best First Round winner vs. Second Round winner | 7:00 p.m. | Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis, IN | ESPNU |
| Semifinals | Monday, March 9 | Semifinal 2: Second-best First Round winner vs. Third-best First Round winner | 9:30 p.m. | Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis, IN | ESPN2 |
| Championship | Tuesday, March 10 | Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner | 7:00 p.m. | Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis, IN | ESPN |
Notes:
- The format includes reseeding after the first round (and potentially play-in) to prioritize higher remaining seeds for matchups at the neutral site—winners are re-ranked by original seed/performance for second round and beyond.
- Play-in and first-round games are at higher-seed home courts (campus sites); all subsequent games are neutral at Corteva Coliseum.
Note: Times and TV for later rounds are subject to confirmation; check HorizonLeague.org for updates. All games are single-elimination.
2026 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket – Printable
You can download our free printable 2026 Horizon League Tournament bracket PDF (blank version for filling in seeds and results, or with current projections). Ideal for tournament pools or tracking predictions.
[Download Printable 2026 Horizon League Tournament Bracket PDF]
We also have the bracket in image format for you below that you can save or print to PDF as well.
March Madness 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: Favorites, Sleepers & Bracket Predictions
