2026 Interactive NCAA Tournament Bracket

ARLINGTON, Texas – One day after capturing the program’s first Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Men’s Basketball Tournament team trophy by defeating top seeded Utah Valley on Saturday night, California Baptist received the No. 13 seed in the East Region of the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Lancers will collide with No. 4 seed Kansas in the first round on March 20 at Viejas Arena on the campus of San Diego State in San Diego, California. Kevin Harlan, Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy and Lauren Shehadi will have the call live at 6:45 p.m. PT on CBS.

CBU claimed its first NCAA tournament berth at the DI level after erasing a seven-point second half deficit against top-seeded Utah Valley in the 2026 Air Force Reserve WAC Basketball Tournament championship game. The Lancers became the 16th different program to win the WAC tournament since the event was first contested in 1984, and will enter the NCAA tournament as a second straight 13-seed in following the 2024-25 Grand Canyon squad that was the conference’s automatic qualifier.

Historically teams from the WAC have combined to win 68 NCAA tournament games all time, with schools representing the WAC appearing in 23 Sweet 16s.

2026 NCAA DI Men’s Basketball Tournament

1ST ROUND: FRIDAY, MARCH 20 – VIEJAS ARENA, SAN DIEGO, CALIF.
No. 13 California Baptist vs. No. 4 Kansas – 6:45 p.m. PT on CBS (Kevin Harlan, Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy and Lauren Shehadi)