March Madness Auto Bid
LIU has secured the first automatic bid to the men's NCAA tournament after defeating Wagner [https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2026-03-07/tracking-31-ncaa-mens-basketball-conference-tournaments-auto-bids-2026-march].
The Sharks punched their ticket by winning the Northeast Conference (NEC) tournament final against Wagner. This victory marks LIU's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018. LIU, as a No. 6 seed, had a surprising run through the NEC Tournament, showcasing resilience. They overcame higher-seeded teams to reach the final and secure the automatic bid. With the automatic bid secured, LIU now awaits the full NCAA Tournament bracket announcement to learn their seeding and opponent. The tournament selection show is scheduled for March 15, 2026.
