A total of five NESCAC teams were selected to the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament field, matching the most in conference history (1995, 1997, 2019).
First Round Games - Friday, March 6
Trinity (25-2), the defending national champion, is the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament. The Bantams will host first and second round games at Oosting Gymnasium on March 6 and 7. The Bantams won their third consecutive NESCAC title with an 80-55 win over Wesleyan to earn the conference’s AQ to the tournament. Trinity faces Keuka (15-13), who won the Empire 8 title as the league’s No. 7 seed. The Wolves are making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Amherst (18-7) is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time under head coach Marlon Sears. The Mammoths garnered an at-large bid to the field and will face WPI (21-5) in the first round at Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. Amherst is making its 21st NCAA Tournament appearance in team history and its first since 2019. WPI, the 2025-26 NEWMAC Regular Season Champion, earned an at-large bid after being upset by Wheaton in the NEWMAC Semifinals. The Engineers are making their 14th trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last 22 seasons.
NESCAC Semifinalist Bates (18-8) was selected to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. The Bobcats face Yeshiva in a first-round game at Montclair State. The Bobcats were an at-large selection to the field and making their first appearance since the 2014-15 season, where they advanced to the “Sweet 16” round. Yeshiva (20-8) locked up an automatic bid by winning the Skyline Conference title.
Tufts (20-5), a NESCAC Semifinalist, is the third at-large selection from the conference. The Jumbos will host first and second round games at Cousens Gymnasium. Tufts meets Penn State Harrisburg (18-10) in the opening round. The Jumbos are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 10th overall. Penn State Harrisburg won the United East Tournament to book its spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Wesleyan, the NESCAC Runner-Up and a national semifinalist in 2025, earned an at-large bid into the 2026 NCAA Division III Tournament. The Cardinals (21-6) are making their sixth all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament and are set to host first and second round action for the fourth time (all since 2018). Wesleyan faces Lehman (21-6) in the opening round. The Lightning are making their second appearance in the tournament after going unbeaten (14-0) in the CUNYAC and winning the tournament title with a 45-point win over CCNY.
