The 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament begins Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio, with two HBCU programs set to take center stage in the First Four. Howard University and Prairie View A&M University both earned automatic bids with dominant conference tournament runs, looking to secure their spots in the main 64-team bracket.

The action kicks off Tuesday night at University of Dayton Arena as Howard faces the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The matchup features a UMBC squad that famously became the first No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in 2018. However, the Bison enter the contest as the hottest team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, carrying an eight-game winning streak and a clean sweep of the MEAC regular-season and tournament titles.

Howard is led by MEAC Player of the Year Bryce Harris and Defensive Player of the Year Cedric Taylor III. Harris leads the conference in scoring at 17.5 points per game and is tied for first in rebounding at 6.7 per game. Taylor has been equally productive, averaging 17.4 points and matching Harris’ rebounding mark. The winner of this matchup will advance to face No. 1 seed Michigan on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Prairie View A&M will make its first tournament appearance since 2019 when it takes on Lehigh. The Panthers secured their place in Dayton after a resilient performance in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament. Entering as the No. 8 seed, the team won four games in five days, including an opening-round upset of top-seeded Bethune-Cookman and a 72-66 victory over Southern in the championship game.

The Panthers are powered by SWAC Tournament MVP Dontae Horne, who averaged 20.2 points during the regular season and delivered 30 points in the quarterfinals. They face a Lehigh team making its first appearance since 2012. The winner of the Wednesday night clash moves on to a first-round meeting with No. 1 seed Florida.