MAAC Tournament 2026 bracket, schedule and championship outlook

There is something about Atlantic City in March. The boardwalk is quiet, the ocean air is cold, and inside Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall the noise builds with every possession. The MAAC Tournament always delivers drama, and this year should be no different.

The 2026 Air Force Reserve MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship runs March 5-10, and by the end of the week one team will cut down the nets and punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

How the bracket sets up

The tournament opens with two first-round games on March 5, before the top seeds step in during the quarterfinals.

First Round – March 5 (ESPN+)
No. 8 Iona Gaels vs. No. 9 Sacred Heart Pioneers – 6:00 PM
No. 7 Fairfield Stags vs. No. 10 Manhattan Jaspers – 8:30 PM

Quarterfinals – March 6-7 (ESPN+)
No. 1 Merrimack Warriors vs. Winner Game 1 – March 6, 6:00 PM
No. 2 Saint Peter’s Peacocks vs. Winner Game 2 – March 6, 8:30 PM
No. 4 Quinnipiac Bobcats vs. No. 5 Marist Red Foxes – March 7, 6:00 PM
No. 3 Siena Saints vs. No. 6 Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers – March 7, 8:30 PM

Semifinals – March 8 (ESPN+)
Game 7 – 6:00 PM
Game 8 – 8:30 PM

Championship – March 10 (ESPN2)
Game 9 – 9:00 PM

It is a grind. The lower seeds have to win four games in six days. Even the top seeds have to handle pressure in a single-elimination setting where one bad half can end a season.

Regular-season picture

Here is how the league finished:

• Merrimack Warriors: 17-3 conference, 21-10 overall
• Saint Peter’s Peacocks: 14-6 conference, 17-11 overall
• Siena Saints: 13-7 conference, 20-11 overall
• Quinnipiac Bobcats: 12-8 conference, 18-11 overall
• Marist Red Foxes: 12-8 conference, 19-12 overall
• Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers: 11-9 conference, 15-16 overall
• Fairfield Stags: 11-9 conference, 19-12 overall
• Iona Gaels: 10-10 conference, 18-13 overall
• Sacred Heart Pioneers: 9-11 conference, 13-18 overall
• Manhattan Jaspers: 8-12 conference, 12-19 overall

Merrimack earned the No. 1 seed by being steady all season. Saint Peter’s has been tough defensively and hard to speed up. Siena and Quinnipiac have the kind of balance that can carry a team through a three-game run. Marist has shown it can beat anyone when its offense gets rolling.

In this league, the gap between seeds is rarely huge. That is why the MAAC Tournament tends to surprise people every year.

Players who could swing the week

Kevair Kennedy of Merrimack has been one of the most reliable guards in the conference. Siena’s Gavin Doty has a knack for big shots. Quinnipiac’s Jaden Zimmerman gives the Bobcats scoring punch, while Saint Peter’s leans on disciplined team play and timely execution.

In Atlantic City, games often come down to late possessions. Free throws matter. Defensive stops matter even more. Veteran guards usually decide who survives.

Why this tournament always feels different

Boardwalk Hall is a unique stage. It is big, loud and neutral, but the energy can swing quickly. Once a team catches momentum, it can carry through an entire weekend.

The top seeds deserve the spotlight, but history says to expect the unexpected. Someone will get hot. Someone will steal a semifinal. And by Tuesday night, one team will be celebrating under the bright lights with confetti falling.

That is MAAC week. It is unpredictable, it is intense and it always feels like March.