The NCAA Tournament will feature three men’s HBCU programs in 2026, giving Black college basketball a bigger spotlight than usual once March Madness begins this week. Tennessee State, Howard University and Prairie View A&M all earned spots in the field, with each school taking a different path into the bracket and each carrying a different level of opportunity into the postseason. (OVC Sports)
Tennessee State makes three HBCU programs
Tennessee State landed the best seed of the group, drawing a No. 15 seed and a matchup with Iowa State. For Tennessee State, this trip to the NCAA Tournament carries major historical weight. The Tigers are making their first appearance in the Big Dance since 1994, ending a 32-year drought after winning the Ohio Valley Conference title. Tennessee State finished 23-9 overall and 15-5 in league play, a breakthrough season that also marked the program’s first regular-season championship since 1994-95. That makes the Tigers one of the most compelling HBCU stories heading into the national tournament.
Howard back again
Howard University, meanwhile, is back in the NCAA Tournament picture as a No. 16 seed. Howard will face UMBC in the First Four, with the winner advancing to face Michigan in Buffalo. That gives the Bison an immediate chance to extend their season and play their way onto one of the sport’s biggest stages. For Howard, the path is steep. But simply reaching the bracket again keeps the program firmly in the national HBCU conversation during March. (NCAA.com)
Prairie View A&M also enters as a No. 16 seed and will represent the South Region. The SWAC champion will meet Patriot League champion Lehigh in the First Four, and the winner will move on to face defending national champion Florida. Prairie View’s inclusion means the SWAC once again sends a men’s representative into the NCAA Tournament, and it adds another HBCU brand to the week’s biggest stage. Florida’s presence as the next opponent only raises the stakes and the visibility.
Taken together, the presence of Tennessee State, Howard and Prairie View A&M gives the NCAA Tournament three men’s HBCU teams to watch. One is trying to end a three-decade absence with a statement. Two others are trying to survive the First Four and crash the main bracket. Either way, HBCU basketball will have multiple chances to make noise in March.