The madness has arrived.
The first men’s basketball conference tournaments start this week, led by the first round of the Atlantic Sun tournament on Monday. The first automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament will be awarded Saturday night in the Ohio Valley tournament title game. In many of these early events, the drama is as high as it gets, because only the winner will hear its name called on Selection Sunday.
Here’s your guide to the 15 conference tournaments that begin between now and Sunday. Brackets are included in those leagues where they’ve already been set. New brackets will be added to this story when they become available, and we’ll be back next Monday for the other 17 conference tournaments.
(Conferences are listed in alphabetical order; all times ET.)
America East
The bracket is set! Take your first look at the @jerseymikes Men’s #AEPlayoffs seeding!
Quarterfinal action begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday, with all 4️⃣ games on ESPN+! pic.twitter.com/pjGwCrwBBC
— America East (@AmericaEast) March 6, 2024
When it starts: Saturday
Where: Campus sites
Title game: Saturday, March 16, 11 a.m, ESPN2
Top seed: Vermont (25-6, 14-1 America East)
The skinny: Vermont is once again the No. 1 seed, as it has been for seven of the past eight AmEast tourneys. The Catamounts are seeking their 10th NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003.
Atlantic Sun
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐭…👀🏆🏀
Check out the full bracket for the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 #𝐀𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐌𝐁𝐁 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩! ⬇️
🔗 | https://t.co/cp1j2HPYd9#ASUNBuilt pic.twitter.com/JlZYncDc8C
— #ASUNBuilt (@ASUNSports) March 2, 2024
Winner: Stetson
Big South
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧.
The stage is officially set for the 2024 @HerculesTires Big South Basketball Championship! 🏀
📰: https://t.co/Pc4EEzvaGD#BigSouthMBB pic.twitter.com/NZ36WjiWgs
— Big South Conference (@BigSouthSports) March 3, 2024
Winner: Longwood
Big Sky
The Stage Is Set 🎥
1. @EWUMBB
2. @UNC_BearsMBB
3. @MontanaGrizBB
4. @WeberStateMBB
5. @MSUBobcatsMBB
6. @psuviksMBB
7. @NAUBasketball
8. @IdahoStateMBB
9. @VandalHoops
10. @SacHornetsMBB #BigSkyInBoise pic.twitter.com/eR46Qvwn6G— Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) March 5, 2024
When it starts: Saturday
Where: Boise, Idaho
Title game: Wednesday, March 13, 11:30 p.m., ESPN2
Top seed: Eastern Washington (20-10, 14-3 Big Sky)
The skinny: The top two seeds have already lost, leaving No. 3 Montana as the top remaining seed. No. 4 Weber State has one of the best mid-major players in America in 6-foot-6 forward Dillon Jones (20.7 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 5.3 apg).
Coastal Athletic Association
🚨 We have a bracket. 🚨
The matchups are set for the 2024 @jerseymikes Men’s #CAAHoops Championship in Washington, D.C.
Head to Championship Central for more details:
🔗 pic.twitter.com/kTjTiCil77— CAA Basketball (@CAABasketball) March 2, 2024
When it starts: Friday
Where: Washington D.C.
Title game: Tuesday, March 12, 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Top seed: Charleston (24-7, 15-3 CAA)
The skinny: Charleston won its final nine games to repeat as regular-season champs and looks to make its second straight NCAA Tournament under Pat Kelsey.
Horizon
Our 2024 @BarbasolShave #HLMBB Championship bracket has been revealed with @OaklandMBB securing the regular season title and No. 1 seed!
🏀: https://t.co/nnyX1aAHIi#OurHorizon 🌇| #MarchStartsHere pic.twitter.com/cyniTOUERV
— Horizon League (@HorizonLeague) March 3, 2024
When it starts: Tuesday
Where: Campus sites for early rounds; title game in Indianapolis
Title game: Tuesday, March 12, 7 p.m., ESPN
Top seed: Oakland (20-11, 15-5 Horizon)
The skinny: Oakland is looking for its first NCAA Tournament trip since 2011 and fourth under Greg Kampe, who is in his 40th (!) season at the helm.
Missouri Valley
Seeds, Times, & Bracket set for #ARCHMADNESS.
🏆🏀👉 pic.twitter.com/4TCuQ84L41
— MVC Basketball (@ValleyHoops) March 4, 2024
Winner: Drake
Northeast
🚨 📰 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 𝙽𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 #𝙽𝙴𝙲𝙼𝙱𝙱 𝚃𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝙵𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚍 𝚂𝚎𝚝@CCSU_MBB Claims Top Seed & Home Court Advantage Throughout Tourney
— Northeast Conference (@NECsports) March 3, 2024
When it starts: Wednesday
Where: Campus sites
Title game: Tuesday, March 12, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Top seed: Central Connecticut State (19-10, 13-3 Northeast)
The skinny: Central Connecticut State got edged by Wagner in the semis. Wagner will face Merrimack, which is eligible to play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time this year.
Ohio Valley
𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐓! 🏀
The 2024 OVC Men’s Basketball Championship presented by @united_fidelity is set!
Complete schedule: https://t.co/eWCQKomOe3#OVCit | #OVCTourney pic.twitter.com/YgxyXoUgDR
— Ohio Valley Conference (@OVCSports) March 2, 2024
Winner: Morehead State (26-8)
Patriot
Patriot League Tournament Bracket. pic.twitter.com/NKqD4jDsNY
— Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) March 3, 2024
When it starts: Tuesday
Where: Campus sites
Title game: Wednesday, March 13, 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Top seed: Colgate (22-9, 16-2 Patriot)
The skinny: Colgate might be the biggest favorite in any conference tournament, as it ran away with the regular-season crown by a full six games. The Raiders are looking to represent the Patriot League in the fifth straight NCAA Tournament.
Southern
The men’s stage is set 🏀 | #SoConHoops
Click the link below for the full schedule, tickets and more⬇️
— The Southern Conference (@SoConSports) March 3, 2024
Winner: Samford
Southland
The Men’s Bracket is SET for the 2024 Jersey MIke’s Southland Basketball Championships presented by Louisiana.
🎟️ https://t.co/j1eQWAX9Ea#EarnedEveryDay pic.twitter.com/iIkYQ0lv2W
— Southland Conference (@SouthlandSports) March 8, 2024
When it starts: Sunday
Where: Lake Charles, La.
Title game: Wednesday, March 13, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Top seed: McNeese State (26-3, 15-1 Southland)
The skinny: Will Wade’s McNeese State Cowboys clinched the No. 1 seed. If the former LSU coach gets back to the NCAA Tournament, he’ll probably be in line for a bigger job after serving his NCAA punishment.
Summit
𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐨 …
The 2024 #SummitMBB Championship Bracket‼️
Sioux Falls is going to be fun 🤩
🗞️: https://t.co/od0Pp0Djcl#ReachTheSummit x #March2TheSummit pic.twitter.com/GkNTAsJbFn
— The Summit League (@TheSummitLeague) March 3, 2024
When it starts: Friday
Where: Sioux Falls, S.D.
Title game: Tuesday, March 12, 9:30 p.m., CBS Sports
Top seed: South Dakota State (19-12, 12-4 Summit)
The skinny: South Dakota State won the league by two games, and the Jackrabbits are looking for their eighth tournament title since 2012. Kansas City, which was 10-15 on Feb. 8, closed out with six straight wins to take the No. 2 seed. The nation’s leading scorer, Tommy Bruner, plays for No. 7 seed Denver.
Sun Belt
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧.
Have a look at the official bracket for the 2024 @HerculesTires #SunBeltMBB Championship. ☀️🏀
📰 » pic.twitter.com/i9y7PnFFDb
— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) March 2, 2024
Winner: James Madison
GO DEEPER
Inside James Madison’s remarkable rise
West Coast
It’s official‼️ The seeds are locked in for the @MyCreditUnion1 #WCChoops Championship
— WCC Basketball (@WCChoops) March 3, 2024
When it starts: Thursday
Where: Las Vegas
Title game: Tuesday, March 12, 9 p.m., ESPN
Top seed: Saint Mary’s (24-7, 15-1 West Coast)
The skinny: Saint Mary’s claimed the regular-season title, but Gonzaga finished strong by winning on the road against the Gaels and No. 3 seed San Francisco in the final week. Saint Mary’s and the Zags should both make the NCAA Tournament no matter what happens in this event since both got byes to the semifinals. Could a surprise winner make this a three-bid league?
Conference tournaments starting next week:
American: March 13-17
Atlantic 10: March 12-17
ACC: March 12-16
Big 12: March 12-16
Big East: March 13-16
Big Ten: March 13-17
Big West: March 13-16
Conference USA: March 12-16
Ivy League: March 16-17
MAAC: March 12-16
MAC: March 14-16
MEAC: March 13-16
Mountain West: March 13-16
Pac-12: March 13-16
SEC: March 13-17
SWAC: March 13-16
WAC: March 13-16
(Top photo of Morehead State: Michael Allio / AP)
