March Madness is here for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and the road to the Big Dance runs through the Norfolk Scope Arena. From March 11–14, seven of the eight MEAC programs will have  a singular goal: securing the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

While the field is deep, Coppin State will be absent from the men’s bracket due to Academic Progress Rate penalties. For the remaining teams, the stakes are high. The MEAC is one of only two all-HBCU conferences whose tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Division 1 tournament. The Southwestern Athletic Conference, or SWAC, is the other. A MEAC team hasn't won an NCAA tournament game since Norfolk State beat Appalachian State in the First Four round in 2021; no HBCU has won a game beyond that round since Norfolk State in 2012. 

Howard enters the week as the team to beat. The Bison (21-10, 11-3 MEAC) secured the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed after closing conference play with six consecutive victories. Led by graduate senior Bryce Harris, who leads the league in scoring (17.5 PPG) and rebounding (6.7 RPG), the Bison earned a first-round bye. They await the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 4 Norfolk State and No. 5 South Carolina State.

Morgan State (14-15, 10-4 MEAC) slides into the No. 2 seed after a strong finish to the season. Under head coach Kevin Broadus, the Bears prioritize ball movement, boasting two of the conference’s top five assist leaders in Elijah Davis and Rob Lawson. They are hunting for their first tournament title since 2010.

No. 3 North Carolina Central remains a dangerous threat due to its defensive identity. The Eagles lead the MEAC in turnover margin, anchored by senior guard Diante Johnson, who ranks in the top 10 nationally with 2.34 steals per game.

Defending champion Norfolk State enters as the No. 4 seed. Despite losing key pieces to the transfer portal last year, the Spartans found a new offensive engine in Anthony McComb III, who averaged 17.0 points per game. Playing in their home city, the Spartans are looking to repeat for the second time in program history.

The bottom of the bracket features No. 5 South Carolina State, led by sophomore Jayden Johnson (13.3 PPG), No. 6 Maryland Eastern Shore, and No. 7 Delaware State, which will lean heavily on high-scoring sophomore James Poonce.

On the women’s side, the narrative centers on a potential collision  between a rising power and a dynasty. Howard(23-7, 13-1 MEAC) took the No. 1 seed after a dominant regular season. Senior forward Zennia Thomas has been the centerpiece, leading the league in both scoring (15.2 PPG) and rebounds (7.9 RPG). The Bison enter on an 11-game winning streak, desperate to avenge three straight championship game losses.

Standing in their way is No. 3 Norfolk State. Despite a coaching change, the Spartans (16-13, 11-3 MEAC) remain the three-time defending tournament champions. With a backcourt featuring Da’Brya Clark and Jasha Clinton, the Spartans boast the top scoring defense in the conference.

No. 2 Maryland Eastern Shore (18-13, 11-3 MEAC) is the "spoiler" to watch. The Hawks, led by senior guard Ashanti Lynch, earned regular-season wins over both Howard and Norfolk State, proving they have the roster to claim the first conference title in program history.

Rounding out the women's field are No. 4 Coppin State, No. 5 North Carolina Central, No. 6 Morgan State, No. 7 Delaware State, and No. 8 South Carolina State.

The action culminates on Saturday, March 14, with the men’s championship at 1 p.m. on ESPN2 and the women’s final at 4 p.m. on ESPNews.