March Madness® begins weeks before you start filling out the brackets for your office pool. Conference championships are when the madness first sets in, where teams play for regional glory en route to a national championship.
In the ACC, some of the most storied schools in Division I basketball take the floor for Atlantic Coast glory and an automatic bid to the tournament.
Fans can catch all of the action on the ACC Network and ESPN networks. Find out when and where to tune in to watch it happen live.
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When Is the 2026 ACC Basketball Tournament?
- 2026 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament March 4-8 at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia
- 2026 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament March 10-14 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina
How to watch the ACC Tournament?
ACC fans can watch every game live on the ACC Network or ESPN. On DIRECTV, find ACC Network on channel 612 and ESPN on 206.
If you don’t currently have access to ACC Network, you can fix that by signing up for one of several DIRECTV packages. Customers can get ESPN, ACC Network and a variety of other sports-centric channels with these packages:
- CHOICE™ Streaming TV Plan: Get 125+ channels for $79.99/mo. + taxes & fees
- MySports® Genre Pack®: Get 25+ sports networks and ESPN+ for $69.99/mo.
2026 ACC Basketball Tournament Schedule
Here is the complete 2026 ACC Basketball Tournament schedule, including game times, matchups and TV channels for both the men’s and women’s tournaments.
2026 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Schedule
Below is the complete 2026 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament schedule, including game times and TV channels. Game matchups are as of March 6.
All times ET.
First Round – Tuesday, March 10
| Game | Time | Matchup | Television |
| 1 | 2 p.m. | No. 10 Stanford vs. No. 15 Pittsburgh | ACCN |
| 2 | 4:30 p.m. | No. 11 SMU vs. No. 14 Syracuse | ACCN |
| 3 | 7 p.m. | No. 12 Virginia Tech vs. No. 13 Wake Forest | ACCN |
Second Round – Wednesday, March 11
| Game | Time | Matchup | Television |
| 4 | 12 p.m. | No. 7 NC State vs. Game 1 Winner | ESPN/ESPN 2 |
| 5 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 6 Louisville vs. Game 2 Winner | ESPN/ESPNU |
| 6 | 7 p.m. | No. 8 Florida State vs. No. 9 Cal | ESPN2/ESPN2 |
| 7 | 9:30 p.m. | No. 5 Clemson vs. Game 3 Winner | ESPN2/ESPNU |
Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 12
| Game | Time | Matchup | Television |
| 8 | 12 p.m. | No. 2 Virginia vs. Winner Game 4 | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| 9 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 3 Miami vs. Winner Game 5 | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| 10 | 7 p.m. | No. 1 Duke vs. Winner Game 6 | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| 11 | 9:30 p.m. | No. 4 North Carolina vs. Winner Game 7 | ESPN/ESPN2 |
Semifinals – Friday, March 13
| Game | Time | Matchup | Television |
| 12 | TBD | Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9 | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| 13 | TBD | Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11 | ESPN/ESPN2 |
Championship – Saturday, March 14
| Game | Time | Matchup | Television |
| 14 | TBD | Winner Game 12 vs. Winner Game 13 | ESPN |
2026 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament Schedule
Below is the complete 2026 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament schedule, including game times and TV channels.
All times ET.
First Round – Wednesday, March 4
| Game | Time | Matchup | Television |
| 1 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 12 Miami (83), No. 13 Stanford (76) | ACCN |
| 2 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 10 Cal (75), No. 15 Wake Forest (52) | |
| 3 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 11 Georgia Tech (72), No. 14 Florida State (60) |
Second Round – Thursday, March 5
| Game | Time | Matchup | Television |
| 4 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 9 Clemson (63), No. 8 Virginia (50) | ACCN |
| 5 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 5 Notre Dame (69), No. 12 Miami (54) | |
| 6 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 7 Syracuse (70), No. 10 Cal (59) | |
| 7 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 6 Virginia Tech (62), No. 11 Georgia Tech (54) |
Quarterfinals – Friday, March 6
| Game | Time | Matchup | Television |
| 8 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 1 Duke (60), No. 9 Clemson (46) | ESPN2 |
| 9 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 5 Notre Dame (81), No. 4 NC State (63) | ACCN |
| 10 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 2 Louisville vs. No. 7 Syracuse | ESPN2 |
| 11 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 6 Virginia Tech | ACCN |
Semifinals – Saturday, March 7
| Game | Time | Matchup | Television |
| 12 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 Notre Dame | ESPN2 |
| 13 | 2:30 p.m. | Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11 |
Championship – Sunday, March 8
| Game | Time | Matchup | Television |
| 14 | 1:00 p.m. | Winner Game 12 vs. Winner Game 13 | ESPN |
2026 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Standings (as of March 6)
See where the men’s basketball teams stand ahead of the ACC Tournament.
| Team | ACC | ACC PCT | Overall | Overall PCT | Streak |
| No. 1 Duke | 16–1 | .941 | 28–2 | .933 | W7 |
| No. 13 Virginia | 14–3 | .824 | 26–4 | .867 | W1 |
| No. 22 Miami (FL) | 13–4 | .765 | 24–6 | .800 | W3 |
| No. 17 North Carolina | 12–5 | .706 | 24–6 | .800 | W4 |
| Clemson | 11–6 | .647 | 21–9 | .700 | L1 |
| Louisville | 10–7 | .588 | 21–9 | .700 | W1 |
| NC State | 10–7 | .588 | 19–11 | .633 | L3 |
| California | 9–8 | .529 | 21–9 | .700 | W1 |
| Florida State | 9–8 | .529 | 16–14 | .533 | W2 |
| SMU | 8–9 | .471 | 19–11 | .633 | L3 |
| Virginia Tech | 8–9 | .471 | 19–11 | .633 | W1 |
| Stanford | 8–9 | .471 | 19–11 | .633 | W3 |
| Syracuse | 6–11 | .353 | 15–15 | .500 | L4 |
| Wake Forest | 6–11 | .353 | 15–15 | .500 | L1 |
| Notre Dame | 4–13 | .235 | 13–17 | .433 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh | 4–13 | .235 | 11–19 | .367 | L1 |
| Boston College | 3–14 | .176 | 10–20 | .333 | L2 |
| Georgia Tech | 2–15 | .118 | 11–19 | .367 | L11 |
2026 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament (as of March 2)
Take a look at the final standings of the ACC Women’s Basketball teams ahead of the Tournament.
| Team | Conf W | Conf L | Conf PCT | Overall W | Overall L | Overall PCT |
| No. 13 Duke | 16 | 2 | .889 | 21 | 8 | .724 |
| No. 12 Louisville | 15 | 3 | .833 | 25 | 6 | .806 |
| No. 16 North Carolina | 14 | 4 | .778 | 25 | 6 | .806 |
| NC State | 13 | 5 | .722 | 20 | 9 | .690 |
| Notre Dame | 12 | 6 | .667 | 20 | 9 | .690 |
| Virginia Tech | 12 | 6 | .667 | 22 | 8 | .733 |
| Syracuse | 12 | 6 | .667 | 22 | 7 | .759 |
| Virginia | 11 | 7 | .611 | 19 | 10 | .655 |
| Clemson | 11 | 7 | .611 | 20 | 10 | .667 |
| California | 9 | 9 | .500 | 18 | 13 | .581 |
| Georgia Tech | 8 | 10 | .444 | 13 | 17 | .433 |
| Miami (FL) | 8 | 10 | .444 | 16 | 13 | .552 |
| Stanford | 8 | 10 | .444 | 19 | 12 | .613 |
| Florida State | 5 | 13 | .278 | 10 | 20 | .333 |
| Wake Forest | 4 | 14 | .222 | 14 | 16 | .467 |
| SMU | 2 | 16 | .111 | 9 | 21 | .300 |
| Pittsburgh | 1 | 17 | .056 | 8 | 23 | .258 |
| Boston College | 1 | 17 | .056 | 5 | 26 | .161 |
2026 ACC Basketball Tournament Bracket
The 2026 ACC Basketball Tournament bracket features all eligible ACC teams competing in a single-elimination format. Teams are seeded based on regular-season conference records, with higher seeds earning byes into later rounds.
The tournament begins with first-round matchups between lower-seeded teams, while the top four seeds advance directly to the quarterfinals. There is no reseeding between rounds, meaning each team’s path is set once the bracket is finalized.
As with every conference tournament, the ACC champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Every game is win-or-go-home, making the ACC Tournament one of the most competitive conference championships in college basketball.
ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket
The 2026 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket begins Tuesday, March 10 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- Lower-seeded teams compete in the first round.
- Seeds 5–9 enter in the second round.
- The top four seeds advance directly to the quarterfinals.
- The championship game is set for Saturday, March 14.
No. 1 Duke enters the tournament as the top seed and will begin play in the quarterfinal round.
Fans looking for the ACC Men’s Tournament bracket can view the full 2026 bracket here.
ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament Bracket
The 2026 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament bracket tips off Wednesday, March 4 at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia.
- First-round games feature the lower-seeded teams.
- Seeds 5–8 receive a bye into the second round.
- The top four seeds advance directly to the quarterfinals.
- The championship game will be played Sunday, March 8.
No. 1 Duke enters the women’s tournament as the top seed after finishing first in ACC play.
Fans can view the complete 2026 ACC Women’s Tournament bracket here.
Top Teams in the 2026 ACC Basketball Tournament
ACC Men’s Basketball: Teams to Watch
Here are the top contenders in the 2026 ACC Tournament.
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils (16-1 ACC, 28-2 Overall)
Duke is the clear favorite, and it starts with Cameron Boozer. The true freshman is projected as a top pick in next year’s draft and has been the engine behind one of the nation’s best teams. Duke has been in cruise control for much of February, winning seven straight including games against Virginia, Michigan and Clemson.
The Blue Devils close their regular season on March 7 at home against North Carolina. Duke fell to the Tar Heels by three in early February. Duke is seeking a second consecutive ACC championship and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
No. 13 Virginia Cavaliers (13-3 ACC, 25-4 Overall)
Virginia had won nine straight before running into No. 1 Duke on the road. Led by 6’9″ freshman Thijs De Ridder and Jacari White, the Cavaliers are in the midst of a huge bounce-back season under first-year head coach Ryan Odom.
No. 17 North Carolina Tar Heels (11-5 ACC, 23-6 Overall)
North Carolina finds itself at No. 17 in the AP poll after winning three straight including huge games against Louisville, Duke and Virginia over the last two months. A road matchup against No. 1 Duke to close out the season will have a huge bearing on their seed in the ACC tournament, but this is a fearless team led by Seth Trimble and Henry Veesaar.
No. 22 Miami Hurricanes (12-4 ACC, 23-6 Overall)
Miami is having a huge turnaround season under first-year head coach Jai Lucas. After winning just six games a year ago, Miami is 8-2 in their last 10 with seniors Tre Donaldson and Malik Renau leading the way. After breaking into the top 25 for the first time in Week 17, the Hurricanes are looking to carry that momentum toward their first conference championship since 2013.
ACC Women’s Basketball: Teams to Watch
No. 13 Duke Blue Devils (16-2 ACC, 21-8 Overall)
The reigning champion Blue Devils won 16 straight before a slight stumble to end the season, dropping two of their last three including their rivalry game against North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Duke struggled out of the gate and went 3-5 against ranked opponents.
After being knocked out of the rankings for two months, Duke has clawed its way back into the top 15 and will need to prove itself in the ACC tournament ahead of the main event.
No. 12 Louisville Cardinals (15-3 ACC, 25-6 Overall)
Louisville put together their best regular season in five years. The Cardinals went 20-4 to close the season and those four losses were by a combined eight points. This team is as competitive as anyone.
Elif Istanbulluoglu, Laura Ziegler and Mackenly Randolph have powered this team and will help them put up a fight against anyone.
North Carolina Tar Heels (14-4 ACC, 25-6 Overall)
A third straight year of improvement for the Lady Tar Heels. North Carolina ended their season 12-1, with the sole loss being a four-point road defeat to Duke, a loss they avenged at home against Duke to close out the regular season.
Elina Aarnisalo took control of the scoring to close the year with Nyla Harris, Blanca Thomas and Lanie Grant filling out the rest of a formidable starting five.
Watch NCAA Basketball on DIRECTV
From the start of the regular season to conference tournaments and all the way to the March Madness Championship game, DIRECTV has got your back, with all the channels you need to watch your favorite teams compete for the coveted title.
Stream Conference Tournaments & March Madness for less with DIRECTV’s MySports® Genre Pack®!
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the 2026 ACC Basketball Tournament?
The 2026 ACC Basketball Tournament runs March 4–14, 2026. The ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament takes place March 4–8 at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia, and the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament runs March 10–14 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
What channel is the 2026 ACC Basketball Tournament on?
The 2026 ACC Basketball Tournament will air live on ACC Network and ESPN networks, including ESPN and ESPN2. Fans can watch through TV streaming providers such as DIRECTV.
Who are the favorites to win the 2026 ACC Basketball Tournament?
On the men’s side, No. 1 Duke enters the ACC Tournament as the favorite, followed by Virginia, North Carolina and Miami. In the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament, Duke, Louisville and North Carolina are among the top championship contenders based on their regular-season performance.
Who won the 2025 ACC Basketball Tournament?
In the 2025 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament, Duke won the conference championship. Duke also captured the 2025 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament title, completing a sweep of both championships.
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