LIU Gets First March Madness Bid
LIU secured the first automatic bid for the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament after a rare outcome in the Northeast Conference [https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2026-03-07/tracking-31-ncaa-mens-basketball-conference-tournaments-auto-bids-2026-march].
LIU earned the automatic bid due to Merrimack, the Northeast Conference tournament winner, being ineligible for NCAA postseason play until the 2027-28 season. Merrimack is transitioning to Division I and per NCAA rules, is ineligible for postseason tournaments for four years. This marks LIU's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018 when they were known as LIU Brooklyn. The Sharks, now representing the unified LIU, finished the regular season with a 7-25 record. LIU lost to Merrimack in the NEC tournament semi-finals 67-61. Despite their losing record, LIU will be one of the 68 teams competing in the NCAA Tournament.
